# Walking for exercise **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 16, 2017, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-for-exercise/789141 "2017-06-16T19:57:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![justmeetee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@justmeetee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justmeetee)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2017, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-for-exercise/789141/1 "2017-06-16T19:57:46Z")
If you were to walk every aisle of the average Wal-Mart Super Center how far do you think you will walk? ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2017, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-for-exercise/789141/2 "2017-06-16T20:06:54Z")
> [@justmeetee](#): > > If you were to walk every aisle of the average Wal-Mart Super Center how far do you think you will walk? In the winter I’ve walked every aisle through Meijer’s and get about 3500 steps in. Just walking around the interior perimeter gives me about 1000 steps. Believe Walmart is about the same. Costco is only about 700 steps around the perimeter and it’s aisles are bigger, but it’s right down the street from where I work so I walk there for lunch. I’ve lost 20 lbs since February just by walking. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2017, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-for-exercise/789141/3 "2017-06-16T21:07:10Z")
It might be further than you think! I have a step counter, and last time I mowed my lawn–and it’s not a huge lawn, not anywhere the size of a Costco or Walmart–I walked a mile! ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2017, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-for-exercise/789141/4 "2017-06-16T21:50:56Z")
Got a smartphone? Download a pedometer app and find out! ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2017, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-for-exercise/789141/5 "2017-06-16T21:56:55Z")
At my particular WalMart, five laps around the perimeter makes a mile. I never checked aisle-by-aisle. ---
**Author:** ![TSBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@TSBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TSBG)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2017, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-for-exercise/789141/6 "2017-06-16T22:07:54Z")
iPhones have a pedometer function built in, though I’ve heard people say that it overestimates steps/distance. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2017, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-for-exercise/789141/7 "2017-06-16T22:10:32Z")
If you have any shopping centers around you might consider them for walking: a lot of them encourage mall walking. They may open early before most of the shops are open. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2017, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-for-exercise/789141/8 "2017-06-16T22:14:12Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > At my particular WalMart, five laps around the perimeter makes a mile. I never checked aisle-by-aisle. That doesn’t sound right. I’m trying to imagine a WalMart that is smaller than the inside of a typical HS track (1/4 mile perimeter). Are you sure? ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-for-exercise/789141/9 "2017-06-17T02:11:10Z")
You probably know how fast you walk. A mile in 20 min. is typical. Time yourself and figure out how far you walk that way. All winter my wife and I walk in a local mall. I don’t know that they particularly encourage it, but they do nothing to discourage it. And they are open by 8, while nearly all the stores open at 10. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-for-exercise/789141/10 "2017-06-17T02:21:53Z")
I’m being serious: Would walking in the Walmart be cheating if I push a shopping cart around? I have a (minor) back problem and just leaning forward that little bit makes it easier to walk. Would that diminish the effectiveness of the walk? Might be fun dodging other shoppers at warp speed. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![justmeetee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@justmeetee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justmeetee)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-for-exercise/789141/11 "2017-06-17T02:58:22Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > I’m being serious: Would walking in the Walmart be cheating if I push a shopping cart around? I have a (minor) back problem and just leaning forward that little bit makes it easier to walk. Would that diminish the effectiveness of the walk? Might be fun dodging other shoppers at warp speed. 😉 This is one of the two reasons I asked. The other being that I have a hard time breathing when it’s humid and being in a climate controlled environment allows me to spend more time exercising. Plus the closest health club is 35 miles away and I’m poor, lol. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-for-exercise/789141/12 "2017-06-17T03:37:25Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > I’m being serious: Would walking in the Walmart be cheating if I push a shopping cart around? I have a (minor) back problem and just leaning forward that little bit makes it easier to walk. Would that diminish the effectiveness of the walk? Might be fun dodging other shoppers at warp speed. 😉 Well, what would you be doing otherwise if you could not be walking at Walmart while pushing a cart? If the answer is “not walking at all” and/or “sitting” then no, absolutely not cheating. Also remember, both you and **justmeetee** , that the goal for walking isn’t distance. It’s: 1. Moving your muscles and supporting your weight 2. Getting your heart working harder than if you’re at rest 3. Doing all this for a length of time that is at least a slight challenge Don’t focus so much on distance. Focus on time and effort. But first, actually, work on doing it on a regular basis. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Downtown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mr\_Downtown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Downtown)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-for-exercise/789141/13 "2017-06-17T04:38:57Z")
A Walmart Supercenter is generally about 140,000 sq. ft. Let’s call 100,000 sq ft of that the part you as a customer are allowed into. 12-foot aisle spacing would mean about 80 100-foot-long aisles, if laid out that way, theoretically meaning 1.5 miles of walking within one store. In practice, I doubt you could reach a full mile. ---
**Author:** ![albino\_manatee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/albino_manatee/32/2_2.png) [@albino\_manatee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/albino_manatee)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-for-exercise/789141/14 "2017-06-17T12:04:42Z")
> [@TSBG](#): > > _iPhones have a pedometer function built in, though I’ve heard people say that it overestimates steps/distance._ supposedly … any iphone-5s and later probably should have it: > **[How to use your iPhone as a pedometer](https://www.idownloadblog.com/2016/04/29/how-to-use-iphone-as-pedometer/)** > > Learn how you can use your iPhone as a pedometer and step counter in this article. ---
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-for-exercise/789141/15 "2017-06-17T12:53:10Z")
Many years ago, I worked at a Walmart. (By the way, Marketwatch claims that the average supercenter is 179,000 square feet. Wikipedia says 187,000 square feet.) I never tried to walk every aisle. But during a typical 8-hour shift, I racked up right around 10,000 steps. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-for-exercise/789141/16 "2017-06-17T14:40:07Z")
A lap around the interior of the Boeing 737 assembly building is about 1.3 miles. I add stairs and a somewhat zig zag route, that gives me about a 1.5 mile walk during lunch time. ---
**Author:** ![GiantRat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@GiantRat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GiantRat)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2017, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-for-exercise/789141/17 "2017-06-18T02:40:07Z")
The average human walking speed is allegedly 3.1 mph. How does walking half an hour constitute “exercise?” I don’t mean to insult anyone who is older or has an infirmity, but I would speculate that many office critters spend more than a half hour a day just going from conference to room to conference room (based on many places I’ve worked), and that included stairs. That doesn’t elevate heart rate (at least by much) or require strenuous exertion. Maybe I’m misinterpreting the question. ---
**Author:** ![DeptfordX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DeptfordX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeptfordX)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2017, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-for-exercise/789141/18 "2017-06-18T10:33:31Z")
If you just want the ability to do some moderate exercise and get your heart rate up enough to do some good, how about an exercise bike? You can buy a basic model pretty cheap, and you can use it rain or shine, whenever you like. You don’t have to go mad like you were doing a spin class, hell you could use it while watching the TV if you like. ---
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2017, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-for-exercise/789141/19 "2017-06-18T13:40:14Z")
> [@GiantRat](#): > > The average human walking speed is allegedly 3.1 mph. How does walking half an hour constitute “exercise?” I don’t mean to insult anyone who is older or has an infirmity, but I would speculate that many office critters spend more than a half hour a day just going from conference to room to conference room (based on many places I’ve worked), and that included stairs. That doesn’t elevate heart rate (at least by much) or require strenuous exertion. > > Maybe I’m misinterpreting the question. It doesn’t really matter whether your heart rate gets elevated. Most doctors and medical websites say that ANY activity is vastly better than none at all. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2017, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-for-exercise/789141/20 "2017-06-18T13:56:20Z")
And remember kiddies, [fast walking correlates with a longer life span](http://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/news/20110104/walking-faster-may-lead-to-a-longer-life#1). \*"Scientists reporting in The Journal of the American Medical Association say that older adults who typically walk 1 meter per second or faster live longer than expected. A walking, or gait, speed of 1 meter per second is equal to 3.28 feet per second. Walking speed can be an important sign of someone’s overall health.\* I like that study because I’m a fast walker, but suspect that it mostly signifies that if your health is already compromised you’ll walk more slowly. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-for-exercise/789141.md?page=2)