What is walking?

morningstar

morningstar

Cathlete
I got to thinking, what is walking at a regular pace? You know, not power walking, not at a terribly brisk pace, just plain old walking. It can't really be called cardio, because your heart rate doesn't get into an anaerobic or an aerobic zone. Could it be strength training for your legs? You are carrying your weight around on 'em, after all. I know it's low impact, low intensity exercise of some sort, but I'm just not sure what kind!
 
I would call it the cardio that takes 5 hours to burn 100 cals! :p

It's cardio that is only helpful to people who have never exercised in life or are so bad off that just a little bit of walking is beneficial. Me, when I went back to working out last year, I was walking on the TM an hour a day everyday and it didn't do a thing for me! I think it's because I had always worked out off and on that my body wouldn't respond to anything low impact and low intensity.
 
I guess that depends on what your "regular pace" is. People who dwadle like they have no where to be drive me crazy. Move it!!! Walk like you need to be somewhere (same for slowpokes in the left lane, but that's another post). People who casually stroll thru the parking lot in front of your car like they have no where else on the planet to be. People who stroll down the hall to the bathroom at work like they don't have work to get back to. Lalala!!! People who "walk" their dogs and do more standing (the people) and sniffing (the dogs) than walking.

My normal pace for walking is about 4 mph. If I take the dog for a casual walk - that's about the pace we move at, which is the same as my normal walking speed. If I am walking for exercise then I move faster. So again, I guess it depends on what your normal is. I count it as cardio - but only on my off or easy day. Other than that, I don't count it as exercise.

Nan
 
I think you can't just look at walking as how many calories you have burned. It is really a weight bearing exercise and just having your body in motion is good for it. I think that walking at a brisk pace is really good for you. If you walk rather then jump in your car you will have a cumulative effect and I believe you will burn calories. Not everything has to be high impact/high intensity. Sometimes I think consistency counts more than anything. My friend walks everywhere and has never done a day of programmed exercise in her life. She is 65 toned slim and has strong legs with no cellulite! It really is a stress reducer also. Probably if we just moved more in daily life there would be less need for cardio workouts.
 
I push my 2 girls in a stroller when I walk so I am pushing over 60 pounds and I try and do hill repeats. If I do a flat course I still log it in as a workout because I try to walk fast. On the hills my calves burn and my heart pumps. I have tried running with them and occasionally do a short burst with them but it is too hard to maintain for a long period of time.

I guess it all depends on your pace and how much your heart races.
 
5 hours to burn 100 cals? I haven't found that - I wore my Polar one day and my Mio the next and found that I burned 1400-1500 cals in 14 miles and we were walking a respectable pace up and down hills, but mostly flat.

I also find that my legs are slimming nicely through the upper thigh area. I can't compare walking to running since I don't run anymore, but I would much rather be walking. Much easier on the knees :)
 
PhyllisG said:
Probably if we just moved more in daily life there would be less need for cardio workouts.
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ITA! I'd wager that there are more people worldwide who maintain their weight (and health) by walking than by any other form of exercise. I love my workout dvds but walking is my absolute favorite stress buster. Moreover, I've never gained weight on a vacation where walking was the primary mode of transportation. :D
 
It's the greatest exercise in the world.

I work with a lot of older and elderly clients, and the ones who do a lot of walking are the ones who are in the best shape, both physically and mentally.

I have a partner who is 77 years old, who was an athlete in his youth. He suffered so many injuries during his athletic years, that walking is the only exercise he can do now. He walks at least 20 blocks to work every day, and the guy is slim, healthy and sharp as a tack.

Even when you're not walking fast enough for it to be aerobic, you're helping your body to stay slim, strengthening your bones, increasing your circulation and even helping your mind to stay sharp. Whatever other exercise you may be doing, the more you walk during your daily life, the better!
 
ElleJay said:
5 hours to burn 100 cals? I haven't found that - I wore my Polar one day and my Mio the next and found that I burned 1400-1500 cals in 14 miles and we were walking a respectable pace up and down hills, but mostly flat.

I also find that my legs are slimming nicely through the upper thigh area. I can't compare walking to running since I don't run anymore, but I would much rather be walking. Much easier on the knees :)
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That wasn't meant to be an actual figure! :rolleyes: It was meant as a facetious comment! ;) Basically, I don't want to be out there all day trying to get a "workout" in walking. As I said in my post, I tried that on an incline at 4 mph on the TM for an hour a day and it did not help me! Everyone is different, yes, but for me, walking is useless as an aid to cardiovascular improvement and weight loss!
 
Okay, guys, but I'm looking for a really definitive answer: what kind of exercise is regular walking, anyway? Strength or cardio?

I walk anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours, at least 5 days a week. I don't own a car and don't take public transit. Conservatively, walking slowly, I burn at least 230 calories an hour, and that's with my heart rate not going over 55% of max. It doesn't replace my other workouts, however. Walking has been shown to be the single best exercise for most people in taking and keeping weight off over the long term, because people can stick to it and not have it interfere in their lifestyle.
 
syzygy314 said:
I would call it the cardio that takes 5 hours to burn 100 cals! :p
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Since 1 mile (of walking or running or jogging) burns about 100 calories, that would be a very slow pace of 1/5 mile an hour!

Aerobic means "with oxygen," so I don't see how regular walking (around a 3 mph pace) would not be aerobic.

I recently read that"brisk walking" is considered about 4 mph.

Racewalkers do around 6 mph or faster.

All of these are forms of cardio, but the faster you go, the more efficient your workout is.
 
PhyllisG said:
I think you can't just look at walking as how many calories you have burned. It is really a weight bearing exercise and just having your body in motion is good for it. I think that walking at a brisk pace is really good for you. If you walk rather then jump in your car you will have a cumulative effect and I believe you will burn calories. Not everything has to be high impact/high intensity. Sometimes I think consistency counts more than anything. My friend walks everywhere and has never done a day of programmed exercise in her life. She is 65 toned slim and has strong legs with no cellulite! It really is a stress reducer also. Probably if we just moved more in daily life there would be less need for cardio workouts.
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Well said. ITA

I've also read that slow-and-steady workouts like walking train the body to use fat as fuel rather than carbohydrates (which is why, if you are looking to burn fat as fuel, even if you do more intense walking, it's good to do a gradual warm-up because going intense too fast taps into carbs rather than fat).
 
I consider walking to be cardio.

I've heard the same as Kathryn. In fact, one of my army friends told me that he learned from his drill sgt. that running may burn more overall calories, but walking burns more "fat" calories than running does.

So, I do both running and walking! For running, I usually do either a steady state at about 5.8 to 6.2 mph or I do intervals (speed or hills), sometimes HIIT if I'm up for it. For walking, I like to put on the 10 lb x-vest and some ankle and wrist weights for added intesnity. I also like to walk hills, either on the treadmill or outside. I have an intense hilly path (Mill Creek Trail in Johnson County, KS) near our home that I do once in a while.

So, walking is cardio IMHO.
 
Seriously, though, if you look at the definition of cardio, it is the use of the large muscles of the body (the legs) for at least 20 consecutive minutes. That's the bare bones definition. So, I would say walking is cardio regardless of your pace. For benefits, of course you have to walk a little faster to get the heart rate up to the target zone, so I would say you are definitely getting a good dose of cardio!

Of course, since it is also weight-bearing, you are still getting some toning of the muscles in as well. But, I would still classify it as cardio.
 
bigbadbrandini said:
For walking, I like to put on the 10 lb x-vest and some ankle and wrist weights for added intesnity.
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Please be careful, and rethink wearing ankle weights for walking: it can throw off your gait and affect everything up the kinetic chain from the ankles through the knees and into the hips and back. I would NEVER wear ankle weights walking.

As for wrist weights, IMO, if you use a weight heavy enough to have much effect, it can be troublesome for the elbow and shoulder joints.

Weighted vests--if the weight is distributed correctly, and you work up to heavier weights gradually--should be fine for walking for most people.
 
Thanks Kathryn! I usually walk slower when I have the weights on. On the treadmill, I only go up to 3.2. When I put the incline on, I slow the speed down even more and I keep it short, no more than 30 minutes. I learned about this method from a good friend of mine and she is a tough lady. But I understand and appreciate your concern.

I admit I haven't done any kind of "weighted walks" in a while. I'm doing the STS and Cardio 3.5 month rotation and since I don't have a lot of the older DVDs, and sometimes I just have to get outside on the trails, I've been going for rides on my bicycle with my DH or a friend.
 
Walking is a great light cardio option!

i would say, walking is definitely cardio, just lower intensity. But, you get what put into it - you can leisurely stroll (like when w/the kids) or really move it. Walk hills, that'll get heart rate up.

Actually, every Sunday (supposedly my "rest" day), a couple g-friends & I walk the neighborhood w/lots of hills and 1 set of steep steps for about 75-90 minutes. i still sweat. It's a great way to get moving in the fresh air & socialize a bit - the time flies and I always feel rejuvented afterwards.
After a hard week of weights & higher intensity cardio workouts I really look forward to my Sunday "date" to walk with the girls!
 
My Go Wear Fit counts my walking as moderate exercise. (I walk about 3-4 mph depending).

For my exercise program I count it as my 'bonus'. As noted by others, I walk during my lunch half-hour for stress reduction and bonus cardio. In addition on my days off I try to walk for errands that are within a mile - library, drug store, grocery store (for odds and ends), etc. I get bonus cardio AND 'go green'. And I can usually do walking when I'm recovering from an injury (happens more these days :-( )

I agree that walking is a wonderful thing. I couldn't do a treadmill though (don't have one, don't belong to a gym). I love being outside. But then I live in an area with a fabulous climate (SF bay area) :cool:
 
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Walking is cardio. Not intensive cardio. It is great for fat-burning. When my knee is up to snuff, I walk 40 minutes/day, 5 days/week in addition to whatever rotation I'm doing. It's really good for your heart, tones the legs without giving giganto calves, clears the mind, etc. It also doesn't increase the appetite like some other workouts may. There is a reason why Europeans tend to be thinner than Americans!
 
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