Well, it’s up to you… and I’m saying that without any intended sarcasm. If someone is willing to put in twice as much time in order to get the same results, that’s ultimately their choice. If it doesn’t interfere with other people’s workouts, and if that person can spare the time, then that’s just fine. (I add this disclaimer because, in a gym environment, one’s intensity level can adversely affect other people – by tying up equipment, for example, or by getting in other people’s way during class exercises).
It’s generally best to pick exercises that one enjoys. I say “generally” because sometimes people need to push themselves harder; after all, the path to progress isn’t always pleasant. Personally, I don’t always enjoy the back-breaking drills that my martial arts instructor demands. I do them anyway though, since I want to get results.
Way back when, walking constituted most of my cardio work. I probably used a more brisk pace than you did, but like you, I used it as a time of contemplation.
I don’t recommend the inefficient route for most people, especially since most folks tend to grossly underestimate the amount of exercise needed in order to shed a few pounds. I also think that most people can push themselves harder than they do, since the barriers to hard work are largely mental in nature. If long, slow exercise is what works best for you though, and if you can spare the time, then go for it.
I exercise at home, but if I were paying for a gym, I’d expect to be able to use the equipment in a way that works best for me.
If people want to shed pounds, they need to restrict calories. Anyone who isn’t already in good shape isn’t going to be able to burn enough calories through exercise to make anything like the difference even moderate caloric restriction will. For the vast majority of people, exercise is for improvement of overall health, and can help maintain weight–an extra 1500 calories a week isn’t going to trim you down at any sort of satisfying rate, but being able to eat an extra 1500 calories a week and maintain makes a HUGE difference in sustainability.
In my experience, people who always feel (or are made to feel) like they aren’t pushing themselves hard enough, or are failures, or are wasting their time because they aren’t maximizing efficiency are a lot more likely to give it all up than to persist.
In the psychological category, walking is so easy to do and so flexible - one low-energy days when you are dragging your butt around, you are highly likely to skip an official “work-out,” but you might be able to get up and walk around the block. Once you get your shoes on and get out the door, it’s usually easier to go just a little farther, and you end up getting a full walk in. And sometimes you just walk around the block and get the benefits of fresh air and sunshine.
One thing that occurs to me in this conversation is that there are some people who are very keen exercisers, but you’re very much in the minority. The vast majority of North Americans would be doing extremely well to get in a good walk three times a week.
No argument here. In fact, several other Dopers and I have emphasized this in recent weeks. Having said that, the best results are typically obtained through a combination of dietary changes AND exercise.
That’s not consistent with my experience. Based on my conversations with various gym habitues, I find that they’re more likely to continue when they start to see results.
Moreover, I don’t think anyone’s arguing that one must always **maximize **efficiency. (I certainly haven’t, since I acknowledged that if someone can work out inefficiently if they’re willing to put in extra time.) Inefficient workouts will tend to yield very minor results though, unless one is willing and able to invest huge amounts of time into them.
Very true. That’s one reason why I took to walking years ago, especially since I did not enjoy running very much.
Having said that, walking only got me so far. I made progress, but only very slowly, and I predictably reached a plateau. It wasn’t until I learned to ramp my efforts up that I started making more substantial progress. Walking was helpful as a starting point though, and I’m sure that other people have had similar experiences.
I think different people are looking for different results, too. I have zero interest in becoming a hard body and looking good in a bikini - I just want to be healthier and not die of a heart attack at 45.
Absolutely right. Moreover, even when there is no such rule, it’s unfair to hog the machines when other people are waiting to use them. The same is true of the weight training machines and other resistance equipment. Lollygagging on those machines means that other people don’t get to use them.
As I’ve pointed out before, a similar problem occurs in group cardio classes. One is generally expected to move with the class, especially when it comes to vigorous boot camp or Hi-Lo exercises. This isn’t generally a problem in the low-effort classes, but in medium- or high-intensity groups, people who move sluggishly (or inattentively) can wind up presenting a physical hazard to the people around them. Also, because a group tends to feed of its collective enthusiasm, moving sluggishly tends to sap the energy level of both the instructor and the other class members. (My boot camp instructors are quick to point this out. They admit that when people don’t work hard at following along, they tend to be become demotivated, and that this also tends to affect the other people in the class.)
With outdoor walking though, that’s generally not a problem. You’re generally out there by yourself, and you can walk at whatever intensity level suits you best. I personally recommend a combination of brisk walking and the occasional powerwalk, but that depends on one’s circumstances, and I can also enjoy the occasional contemplative walk as well.
If you’re referring to the job you do, I agree that most jobs where you have to stay on your feet may not provide a great deal of physical benefit. The standing and walking done on the job by store clerks, security guards, teachers, and so on can’t really be compared to briskly walking a meaningful distance.
To get the full benefit of walking, you need to be able to take full strides and maintain a good pace; you usually can’t do that standing behind a sales counter or at the front of a classroom. With due respect, those people aren’t walking, they’re standing around punctuated by short little walks from one point to another within the room.
A better argument might be that increasing one’s heart rate usually shouldn’t the sole objective of exercise.
About 17 years ago I started walking a lot. At least for vanity’s sake, it wasn’t long before I noticed better results with regard to shape and definition in my lower body, than I’d been able to get from several years of avid gym workouts. And this even though the place I usually walked to was a pub about a mile distant, where I usually had a pint or two.
While I didn’t give up the weights entirely, I did realize that my exercise plan could do with some changes. It’s a lot more pleasant to be walking outdoors than to be lifting in a gym; I may be somewhat prejudiced by the fact that I live in an area where it is pleasant to be outside nearly all the time.
Some data, and with the important caveat that once you have an injury, its a lot harder to prevent getting future ones, and that does put you at risk of knee issues.
And its very very easy to get an injury in the early stages of running unless you’re very careful. Walking can also be very helpful to your knees without anywhere near the risk of injury.
That’s the thing though- you’re talking about people who frequent a gym. Not “average” people who decided they wanted to lose some weight, went to a gym, were made to feel like they “weren’t good enough” or were “wasting everyone’s time and hogging the equipment” or whatever, and thus gave up, went home, collapsed onto the couch, and reached for the nearest bag of Cheesy Puffs.
Most work I do now and have done involves a good deal of brisk walking as opposed to standing - catering, serving in restaurants, bartending, as a barista where I’m alone on my shift (back and forth, back and forth), and in grocery stores (mostly stocking, some prep). I often break into a trot/jog when it’s busy!
Additionally I have never driven so my commute, of varying lengths, has always been walking (or on my bike - more often walking because I don’t get sweaty, or frozen by the wind whistling past, while doing it). As well I will walk distances to shop, or see friends. I have two dogs who I try to walk at a good pace for at least an hour each day. AND a hobby of mine in my free time is walking in parks and graveyards, and hiking rougher terrain.
Most of my life I’ve just moved around a lot like this - my toddlerhood and childhood was basically a non-stop sprint and I also biked a crazy amount as a child, many miles some days. Although I did have some sedentary years (high school and depression), I didn’t feel that they had an effect on my walking fitness, and my body has been very close to the same shape and size for around a decade no matter how much or how little low-level activity I was getting. I never did sports and rarely did any kind of structured exercise (like setting out to ‘jog’) nearly my whole life. 5 years ago I started running and cycling more, and noticed how quickly I made massive gains in endurance. 3 years ago or so I got into yoga, and put on a few pounds of muscle from that as well as getting stronger and more flexible than I’ve ever been in my life. And I just started lifting free weights seriously this year and gained a few pounds from that very quickly, and the impact on my strength is crazy. Now those things are ‘exercise’ to me! So it’s a different frame of reference. But I think this thread has made me change my mind - moving your body in any way is technically exercise and has an impact on your strength and stamina.
Walking is exercise in the same way that Pilates is exercise; if you have health problems or want to start exercising gently, it’s a good idea.
But if you don’t have health problems and you’re training to improve your body, then it’s a lot like benchpressing 20 pounds; you’re not gaining much.
Heart rate wise, it depends on what you want to do. Burning fat, increasing endurance, increasing the ability to eliminate lactic acid and increasing strength/burst are optimally done at different heart rate zones.
Gym-goer here. If you are at a gym and there is a time limit, heed the time limit. If there is no time limit, use the machines as long as you need to. You are not “hogging” the machine if you are using it for exercise and are obeying gym rules.
I have to debate this. Pilates and yoga can certainly be so gentle you barely feel anything. They can also be intense and incorperate bodyweight exercises and resistance training which will build strength and muscle mass nicely (if you’ve heard of PX90, which has excellent results - it is almost all this type of training). It all depends on the program and the instrutor. At the last class I attended that incorperated Pilates, the instrutor had us doing handstand push-ups! Trying to balance your entire weight on your palms for longer than a minute, even against the wall, is hard enough; most people couldn’t come close to doing an overhead press at the gym with their own bodyweight, and handstand push-ups put strain on different muscles than overhead press with a bar or dumbbells.
My ignorance fought on Pilates. I always figured it was for recovering patients and pussies. Being a macho man, I got dumbbells instead. I hardly ever use them but by God, they’re there right next to me.
I’ll look into the PX90 program. Anything that involves an exercise where I could break my neck though, I’m not keen on.
I’m pretty sure P90X (I typed it wrong up there) doesn’t make you do handstands, much less handstand push-ups. It’s an awesome program for improving general fitness, I think there is at least one thread about it here.
No. It’s not. At least the ladies in my neighborhood any way. They all put on stretch pants and wander around pushing a stroller while they chat with each other. Clearly not exerting themselves in any way. He’ll, any “exercise” you can do while holding your iPhone to your ear and chatting about the latest episode of dr. Phil is not exercising. Even if you put on a sweatsuit.
Power walking is exercise though. Strolling around is not IMHO.
Do a plank for 3 minutes and come back and tell me what a whimpy exercise it is. I used to scoff at my wife, until I tried to do it. That is some tough shit there! I was amazed at how tough it was. Good luck man!
It’s an awesome program for improving general fitness, I think there is at least one thread about it here.
