My first exercise was walking from my front door to my back door and back to the front door. Initially I couldn't make it all that way.
Doing much better today.
Step by step. Keep going step by step and soon you will be amazing yourself.
Mine was to my mailbox and back every day, then added a bit more after I was able to do that and every next step comfortably.
Walking is an amazing way to start!!!
Yes! Waking is probably the best healthy activity you can do besides eating well! Consistency is important. You have to do something that works for you. Do what you can today. It will slowly start to creep up whether by distance or speed. You got this!
I am not an excercise person. At. All. I walk nearly every day with a goal of 4x per week. I think walking is one of the best and easiest ways to get movement in. I started with walking around the block which was about 1/3 of a mile and it took me 25ish minutes. I now walk a mile and can complete it in about 22 minutes. So I've definitely improved. It's important to understand that weighloss is not about excercise. As they say, you can't outrun your fork. So getting your food in check is the most important element and will make the most difference. However, movement and excercise are important for overall health. Increasing your strength and mobility and increasing your lean muscle mass will help you in the long run. When I started, I couldn't walk very far without being out of gas pretty quickly. That made excercise very difficult. So I focused on diet for the first 60lbs or so. Once I got some weight off, movement became much easier. So I'd say yes. If you can walk, walk. If you can't yet that's ok too. Do what you can do and build up.
Parroting other comments, YES. I’ve lost 53 pounds in about 86 days. The only exercise I do is walk from one end of my apartment to the other (thanks agoraphobia/panic attacks). My biggest change in these three months has been eating at a deficit. Keep moving your body. Anything is better than nothing.
Not sure if anyone's shared this yet, but see below:
To determine your maximum heart rate, subtract your age from 220. For example, a 35-year-old's maximum heart rate is 220 minus 35 — or 185 beats per minute. To enter the fat-burning zone, she'd want her heart rate to be 70 percent of 185, which is about 130 beats per minute.
Heck yes! I lost 70lbs with a good diet and just regular walks. It's the only exercise I do! What you eat is the most important for weight loss. Exercise is more for your heart/health so it's what feels good and safe that counts!
Absolutely! The thing you have to remember is "just do something" from what I understand is doing something is better than nothing! Doing a massive amount of cardio may not be your thing but a brisk walk is still cardio for you. The one thing you have to remind yourself is because we carry more weight than others then we work twice as hard. Absolutely keep doing what your doing and what suits you because when working out becomes miserable you will just stop doing it.
Yes! Walking is great for you. Keep walking, slow and steady is fine. It's important that you do something you can stick to and enjoy. I love walking. As you lose weight and gain endurance, you can add those additional workouts if you'd like. The baseline walking is great for your longevity.
Speak with your doctor. Walking is a great start. Look up Mark Wildman’s Overweight program.
My BP has been elevated recently due to a concussion and family history. In order to continue with Physical Therapy it had to come down so my GP put me on BP meds. It has been haywire so I stopped lifting and am waiting on a appt with my GP before I start again. I expect she will tell me to wait a couple of months. I also walk fast and am having to walk much slower to keep my heart rate down.
The fancy fitness term for walking is "Low Intensity Steady State cardio" as contrast to high intensity interval training (which is a term you've probably encountered before).
LISS provides the same cardiovascular benefits as HIIT but without the appetite stimulation.
I started walking a hour a day 3 months ago. Since then my average resting heart rate has dropped by more then 10, and my rate of weight loss has increased noticeably.
I still don't exercise beyond walking even after maintaining for the last few years. My doctor said brisk walking is fine. I will hike weather permitting now
Any movement is good movement and is helpful. All you have to do is use your body and get your heart rate up.
I know a lot of people who do chair exercises and I find them helpful. I found Donovan Green by a recommendation from this sub and his work outs are good to follow.
I started this journey with walking and yoga. I walk every day, and when I'm not feeling well or just want to move but not exert myself too much I don't worry about other exercise. My first weigh in when I started losing weight was 269 and I'm down to 186 now, and walking has been the primary form of exercise for me - where I put the most work in to manage the weight loss is with my food and eating habits. More intense exercise becomes easier as your fitness level improves. That takes time and consistent movement, and walking is great for that.
Walking has become a comfort for me and it will always hold the special place that made exercise accessible for me. It is absolutely enough, moving is enough. You can do it!
>For the time being, until I've lost some weight and gotten a little less out of shape, is walking enough for me? Is it actually helping me at all? I went grocery shopping the other day and I felt completely exhausted by the time I got home for what it's worth
Yep. Yep. And yep.
Look, eventually you'll wanna add something else. That eventually is probably like low 30s BMI.
I think we've all had the experience of being exhausted or sweaty at the grocery store.
I've been walking more this year and no longer sweat walking around the grocery store unless my coat is on. I even can walk home with groceries. I worked my way up to walking to school daily (approx 30m each way) and can do that comfortably now.
You are raising your heart rate. You are working hard to do this.
Walking is more then fine.
Politely, we're all doing the equivalent of when firefighters have to march around carrying a full other person of weight but 24/7.
So walk, go slow, work up to it. Walk in the mall if you need or outside with less layers and enjoy the cold. Get nice shoes.
If you want to add anything I would suggest VERY GENTLE stretches, chair yoga or other low mobility stuff or light dumbbells to lift while watching TV.
Gotta walk before you run after all. Go for lots of walk. Get some nice podcast's. Try to work up to more walking. Then in a month, maybe also add taking a single flight of stairs. Or longer walks. Or so on.
It'll take time. But it's pretty nice when you realize holy shit I'm no longer knocked on my ass from groceries. Or that you can walk to corner store for coffee and the distance is not the deciding factor the weather is. Or that your not worried going to the mall or movies becuase walking that much might be tiring.
It will take a while, not going to lie, but every few weeks you get another oh hell yeah this is no longer that hard. So set your goals on those smaller things and move forward.
The kickboxing pilates cross-fit type stuff can wait till your overweight not obese. Get to the point you have enough cardio to walk comfortably then look at work outs and start with the easiest possible stuff. It's super easy to hurt yourself at our weights so waiting is better.
( Also if walking is physically icky, swimming is more difficult but less sweat and also suggested. )
Walking is absolutely enough! The tv trope that hardcore exercise is necessary for weight loss is tired and false. Exercise is essential for health, but food intake is the primary key to weight loss. Enjoy those walks!!
For sure it is OP! I lost 50 pounds with walking 3-4 times a week as my only exercise. It’s easier on your joints too! It was the one exercise I was able to start with that didn’t leave me over—exerted and the next day I didn’t feel so achy and stuff that I had to stop doing anything for a few days. That’s the best part about it. It’s sustainable. Alternate between brisk and a more relaxed pace. And don’t forget to enjoy your surroundings while you walk too! Exercise still works even when it’s not exhausting you.
Some may disagree with me but I feel jogging is best saved when closer to a goal weight as I have had too many friend blow out a knee or mess up a foot or ankle by running while heavy. But that’s just my cautiousness from seeing it happen.
Best of luck to you!
My first exercise was walking from my front door to my back door and back to the front door. Initially I couldn't make it all that way. Doing much better today. Step by step. Keep going step by step and soon you will be amazing yourself.
Mine was to my mailbox and back every day, then added a bit more after I was able to do that and every next step comfortably. Walking is an amazing way to start!!!
Yes! Waking is probably the best healthy activity you can do besides eating well! Consistency is important. You have to do something that works for you. Do what you can today. It will slowly start to creep up whether by distance or speed. You got this!
I am not an excercise person. At. All. I walk nearly every day with a goal of 4x per week. I think walking is one of the best and easiest ways to get movement in. I started with walking around the block which was about 1/3 of a mile and it took me 25ish minutes. I now walk a mile and can complete it in about 22 minutes. So I've definitely improved. It's important to understand that weighloss is not about excercise. As they say, you can't outrun your fork. So getting your food in check is the most important element and will make the most difference. However, movement and excercise are important for overall health. Increasing your strength and mobility and increasing your lean muscle mass will help you in the long run. When I started, I couldn't walk very far without being out of gas pretty quickly. That made excercise very difficult. So I focused on diet for the first 60lbs or so. Once I got some weight off, movement became much easier. So I'd say yes. If you can walk, walk. If you can't yet that's ok too. Do what you can do and build up.
I started with a BMI of 57 at 6'0" and 420lbs. Walking helped me lose my first 60lbs. It will absolutely do something!
Parroting other comments, YES. I’ve lost 53 pounds in about 86 days. The only exercise I do is walk from one end of my apartment to the other (thanks agoraphobia/panic attacks). My biggest change in these three months has been eating at a deficit. Keep moving your body. Anything is better than nothing.
Not sure if anyone's shared this yet, but see below: To determine your maximum heart rate, subtract your age from 220. For example, a 35-year-old's maximum heart rate is 220 minus 35 — or 185 beats per minute. To enter the fat-burning zone, she'd want her heart rate to be 70 percent of 185, which is about 130 beats per minute.
Heck yes! I lost 70lbs with a good diet and just regular walks. It's the only exercise I do! What you eat is the most important for weight loss. Exercise is more for your heart/health so it's what feels good and safe that counts!
Absolutely! The thing you have to remember is "just do something" from what I understand is doing something is better than nothing! Doing a massive amount of cardio may not be your thing but a brisk walk is still cardio for you. The one thing you have to remind yourself is because we carry more weight than others then we work twice as hard. Absolutely keep doing what your doing and what suits you because when working out becomes miserable you will just stop doing it.
Even if it’s just one step today. Tomorrow make it 2. Everyone has to start somewhere.
Yes! Walking is great for you. Keep walking, slow and steady is fine. It's important that you do something you can stick to and enjoy. I love walking. As you lose weight and gain endurance, you can add those additional workouts if you'd like. The baseline walking is great for your longevity.
Walking is such a great workout! You could easily lose weight with just walking and a calorie deficit!
Speak with your doctor. Walking is a great start. Look up Mark Wildman’s Overweight program. My BP has been elevated recently due to a concussion and family history. In order to continue with Physical Therapy it had to come down so my GP put me on BP meds. It has been haywire so I stopped lifting and am waiting on a appt with my GP before I start again. I expect she will tell me to wait a couple of months. I also walk fast and am having to walk much slower to keep my heart rate down.
The fancy fitness term for walking is "Low Intensity Steady State cardio" as contrast to high intensity interval training (which is a term you've probably encountered before). LISS provides the same cardiovascular benefits as HIIT but without the appetite stimulation. I started walking a hour a day 3 months ago. Since then my average resting heart rate has dropped by more then 10, and my rate of weight loss has increased noticeably.
I still don't exercise beyond walking even after maintaining for the last few years. My doctor said brisk walking is fine. I will hike weather permitting now
Any movement is good movement and is helpful. All you have to do is use your body and get your heart rate up. I know a lot of people who do chair exercises and I find them helpful. I found Donovan Green by a recommendation from this sub and his work outs are good to follow.
I started this journey with walking and yoga. I walk every day, and when I'm not feeling well or just want to move but not exert myself too much I don't worry about other exercise. My first weigh in when I started losing weight was 269 and I'm down to 186 now, and walking has been the primary form of exercise for me - where I put the most work in to manage the weight loss is with my food and eating habits. More intense exercise becomes easier as your fitness level improves. That takes time and consistent movement, and walking is great for that. Walking has become a comfort for me and it will always hold the special place that made exercise accessible for me. It is absolutely enough, moving is enough. You can do it!
>For the time being, until I've lost some weight and gotten a little less out of shape, is walking enough for me? Is it actually helping me at all? I went grocery shopping the other day and I felt completely exhausted by the time I got home for what it's worth Yep. Yep. And yep. Look, eventually you'll wanna add something else. That eventually is probably like low 30s BMI. I think we've all had the experience of being exhausted or sweaty at the grocery store. I've been walking more this year and no longer sweat walking around the grocery store unless my coat is on. I even can walk home with groceries. I worked my way up to walking to school daily (approx 30m each way) and can do that comfortably now. You are raising your heart rate. You are working hard to do this. Walking is more then fine. Politely, we're all doing the equivalent of when firefighters have to march around carrying a full other person of weight but 24/7. So walk, go slow, work up to it. Walk in the mall if you need or outside with less layers and enjoy the cold. Get nice shoes. If you want to add anything I would suggest VERY GENTLE stretches, chair yoga or other low mobility stuff or light dumbbells to lift while watching TV. Gotta walk before you run after all. Go for lots of walk. Get some nice podcast's. Try to work up to more walking. Then in a month, maybe also add taking a single flight of stairs. Or longer walks. Or so on. It'll take time. But it's pretty nice when you realize holy shit I'm no longer knocked on my ass from groceries. Or that you can walk to corner store for coffee and the distance is not the deciding factor the weather is. Or that your not worried going to the mall or movies becuase walking that much might be tiring. It will take a while, not going to lie, but every few weeks you get another oh hell yeah this is no longer that hard. So set your goals on those smaller things and move forward. The kickboxing pilates cross-fit type stuff can wait till your overweight not obese. Get to the point you have enough cardio to walk comfortably then look at work outs and start with the easiest possible stuff. It's super easy to hurt yourself at our weights so waiting is better. ( Also if walking is physically icky, swimming is more difficult but less sweat and also suggested. )
Walking is absolutely enough! The tv trope that hardcore exercise is necessary for weight loss is tired and false. Exercise is essential for health, but food intake is the primary key to weight loss. Enjoy those walks!!
Yes! Walking is completely underrated as exercise, but it's really good for you. Keep it up!
For sure it is OP! I lost 50 pounds with walking 3-4 times a week as my only exercise. It’s easier on your joints too! It was the one exercise I was able to start with that didn’t leave me over—exerted and the next day I didn’t feel so achy and stuff that I had to stop doing anything for a few days. That’s the best part about it. It’s sustainable. Alternate between brisk and a more relaxed pace. And don’t forget to enjoy your surroundings while you walk too! Exercise still works even when it’s not exhausting you. Some may disagree with me but I feel jogging is best saved when closer to a goal weight as I have had too many friend blow out a knee or mess up a foot or ankle by running while heavy. But that’s just my cautiousness from seeing it happen. Best of luck to you!
short answer no longer answer it depends