When I was in my 20s, I thought walking was for old people (which, at that age, was anyone older than 30). In fact, when I started running, I never allowed myself to walk, no matter how much my lungs burned or my muscles ached. In my mind, walking felt like cheating, so I slogged along in misery rather than take walking breaks.
I wasn't terribly bright back then.
It's true that walking often doesn't burn the same number of calories as running during the same period of time, but it's one of the easiest ways to stay active. You don't need any special equipment, it's easy on the joints and you can do it just about anywhere.
Walking is even a good idea for runners. As Christine Luff, our Running Guide says, "Walking helps you increase your muscle endurance without putting as much stress on your joints and muscles as running does. And short walking intervals can break up the monotony during a long run or race, which can help you deal with the mental challenges."
What about you? Do you walk for exercise? How do you keep the intensity up? Leave a comment and tell us what you think about walking.
Walking Resources
While my favorite exercise is biking, it has its limitations – you need tolerable weather and safe roads or trails. Walking is less of a hassle and I do it pretty frequently – mostly when traveling on business but also around the neighborhood, at some of our local state parks. I will sometimes use hiking boots and poles to get in a more scenic – and varied – walk I do look silly – and sometimes feel silly – but it is an acceptable price to pay for a good workout.
I’ve walked my whole life, and while I do spend hours in the gym, walking is always the fallback, and the dog loves it. I live in a retirement community and it’s very obvious the differences between people who walk daily and those that don’t. The big difference is in folks in their 80’s. I believe that you have to plan early for what aging will do for/to you and develop a strategy for dealling with what are the inevitable ravages of age. You pretty much need to figure out how to deal with exercise and aging because there really isn’t very much useful info out there.
I just finished my 4 mile “almost” daily walk, had a shower, and feel great. Ron is correct, move it or lose it. May I recommend the book.. Younger Next Year by Chris Crowley & Henry Lodge. It is a great book for us geezers and will keep you motivated into your 80s, if you keep it handy and read it every year or so.
I love walking and try to keep up a fast pace if possible, at about 120 to 130 steps a minute for a good work-out. I enjoy walking with Nordic poles since you utilize your upper body and burn more calories, so you get more out of a normal walk, even though you do get stared at people who have no clue what the poles are for. They are usually the ones sitting in cars who often don’t exercise much to begin with and are mystified by unfamiliar exercise gadgets.
I quite smoking about a year and a half ago and gained about 30 pounds!! I started walking and have sucessfully lost the weight. I walk 3 miles 5 days a week and don’t feel right if I skip. I love it and feel it’s a great way to start the day.
I just love to take Our walks in the park.Never knew that it made me lose the weight.Now that the weather has been warmer We can go on Our walks again I feel good I can breath easier and I walk faster than I ever did.
I’m not convinced walking leads to great fitness gains, but it’s something. I’m sure it leads to lower blood pressure and lower cholesterol readings, and probably somewhat firmer legs than one would have without any exercise at all. It is enjoyable, invigorating, and meditative, so I do include walking in my regimen. Ever since having my daughter two years ago, it has become a staple in my exercise routine because there are many times that it is all I can fit in: Put the kid in the stroller and go. I do think, however, that jogging, biking, and cardio machines provide a more rigorous, effective workout.
I LOVE walking. I’ve used it to lose weight several times in my life after I’ve become inactive for stretches due to life changes. It’s perfect to get you started into a cardio workout routine without slamming you hard enough that you lose workout days due to being overly sore. Right now I’m getting back into working out regularly after life stuff kept my workouts at an erratic and minimal to almost non-existent level, and I’m using walking as my primary form of cardio.
I love the fact that it’s impact without high impact because I believe that’s better for the body than spinning your legs on a machine. I love that it gives me time in nature when the good weather comes. I love that I can see myself building endurance for longer walks and faster walking over time when I am consistent and I love that I can feel my legs gaining strength from it. I never really feel that from machine workouts (barring the treadmill) even when I increase the resistance on them to insane levels. There’s just something about having my feet hit the ground that makes it feel better.
I’m a runner, but I make it a point to do as many weekly errands as possible via walking. In my current apartment I have a pretty nice central location to many stores and services, but sometimes my errands take me on a 6-mile round-trip walk (which is about the distance of my usual run). I’m a fast walker, but it’s still strange to note how much more slowly the miles pass when I’m walking instead of running. What I really found amazing was that when I reported this to my friends, they reacted with shock and amazement as though I had just scaled Mount Everest – even though they know I routinely run 6+ miles.
I am a Personal Trainer and also hold a qualification in ‘Walking for fitness’. And I can tell you now that walking isn’t easy, it can offer Excellent fitness benefits and boost Vo2 Max considerably!
Older, more frail clients tell me they want to do my walking for fitness class but I have to tell them it isn’t your usual walking!
The walk most people do in everyday life is a dordle and nowhere near as difficult as level 1 walking!
(level 3 being a power walk like you see at the olympics)
I walk to / from work, so I get a minimum of 2.5 miles a day. I prefer other cardio workouts, but walking is something that I enjoy AND can do with my husband (Mr. No Workouts).
My mother-in-law, who is now 85, enjoys great health as the result (I think as do most others including her doctor) of daily walking for many years. At 70, she could outwalk me, who was 30 at the time. Also, she broke her hip several years ago. Often a “you never come back from it” injury, she was back to her regular routine including walking within a few months. So, when I see (7) Laura writing she’s “not convinced it leads to any great fitness gains, but it’s something” I wish I could introduce her to my mil. Running at 85 is quite rare, Laura, while walking is doable for the duration.