Back when I was training for marathons, running for miles every day, blowing past everyone out for a walk, I thought of myself as a superhero compared to all those “weaklings” out for a stroll.
I think we guys in particular think that walking is just not manly enough. Why walk when you can run? It burns more calories and is more difficult to do, so it MUST be healthier, right?
As it turns out, you should never discount walking to lose weight – or even walking to maintain weight – as it is an essential part of your exercise program.
Just Put One Foot in Front of the Other…
Here at LMVM, it’s all about giving men the most leverage on their health goals. Why spend all your free time, money, and energy on getting in shape when only 20% of that effort is giving you 80% of your results? Getting plenty of walking or other low-level activity is one of the most essential components of your fitness program, whether you are a beginner or a seasoned veteran.
Working out to burn calories is the right idea, but only a part of the whole picture. For example, when you exercise more, your body compensates by making you hungrier. You have two choices: chow down and undo the caloric deficit you have created, or use up all your willpower to force yourself to not eat. Talk about a catch-22!
A much better mindset is using exercise as a tool to increase your metabolism, which means you turn your body into a 24/7 fat-burning machine without all the uncomfortable hunger. Now THAT’S what we call leverage, baby!
The Context of Walking
One of the most important things you can take into consideration when you are planning your fitness program is what the human body is best DESIGNED to do – how is it that our ancestors were in such great shape before office jobs, before advanced civilizations, before anyone started paying gym fees? If it worked for them, it’s gonna work for you!
Before our species learned how to domesticate plants and animals, we spent our time out walking around in search of berries, roots, and whatever wild game we could find – a far cry from the current 40-hours-a-week cubicle sitter. So you could say there is quite the precedent for walking in a fitness program.
Even Johnny Cash is a Fan of Walking…
The Benefits of Walking
First of all, it is important to note the energy expenditure required by walking. This low-level exercise will get your heart rate up into the 55% – 75% max heart rate zone. (aka the “fat-burning” zone) A nice walk is an easy way to include activity in your day without needing to hit the gym.
But perhaps more important is the effects that walking have on your body composition. It builds muscle and strengthens your joints, which will help prepare you for more intense exercises such as plyometrics, weightlifting, and sprints. This increase in lean mass will give a nice boost your metabolism.
Making Walking a Part of Your Life
Unlike more intense forms of exercise, walking is something you really can’t overdo. Shoot for a few hours per week, but don’t feel like you have to start a timer. Start out by going for a walk in the mornings or evenings. Bring along a friend or family member and you can hang out as well.
One of my favorite things about walking is that it is so easy to incorporate it into my everyday life. I’ll go for a walk after dinner once or twice a week, but I’ll also set up circumstances so I am forced to add more walking into my life. Here are some ideas for you to try:
- Instead of driving around looking for the closest spot, park at the FARTHEST spot from the entrance in the parking lot. It won’t take you that long to hoof it and you will be in a better position to get out if it is crowded.
- Avoid elevators and escalators. Take the stairs as much as possible. (Okay, if you live at the top of a high-rise, you should probably take the elevator. But it wouldn’t hurt to hit the stairway for part of the way.)
- Establish a “no drive zone” around where you park. Don’t drive to the store just down the street, walk there. Don’t drive from the grocery store to Target if it’s in the SAME STRIP MALL. Walk your ass over there!
Walking shouldn’t be neglected in favor of running and sprinting, but an advanced fitness program should have all three. (Check out my buddy Alykhan’s definitive post on cardio over at his great blog, Fitness Breakout for more on this.)
Walking to lose weight is one of the most powerful fitness tools you possess, and you don’t even need a fancy gym membership to do it. Running and sprinting are important too, but walking is the “foundation” upon which all this is built. If you’re not walking, don’t bother running!
I'm a science geek, food lover, and wannabe surfer.
{ 11 comments }
All good stuff here.
If walking doesn’t seem like enough of a workout, pick up the pace. 4 miles per hour is almost as fast as a jog. And/or wear a weight vest (or just put 10-15 pounds of rock in your backpack; I wrap a couple in a towel to protect the pack and my back.).
-Steve
I love to Walk everyday as part of an overall fitness and wellbeing program for myself (I can meditate while walking).
Walk or sprint, the in-between steady state stuff just builds cortisol (i.e. lose muscle)!
I heard it can help reduce inflammation in joints? amongst all the other good stuff, its a great recovery method after a hard workout.
I try to walk my dogs every night for about 45 minutes cause hey its FREE.
Raymond
@Steve:
Thanks for stopping by! Those are some excellent pointers for anyone who is interested in walking to lose weight.
@Raymond:
There really is no way to go wrong with walking. As you mentioned, it is free and available to all, which is essential, as far as I’m concerned.
Any post with Johnny Cash is a great one for me. He was the man! My wife laughs at me because I have some of his greatest hits on my Ipod! I just like that he was authentic and real.
I agree with you about walking. I was one of the guys guilty of thinking that walking wasn’t enough to lose weight. Mark Sisson’s “Primal Blueprint” book opened my eyes to a whole different perspective. Good stuff as usual!
-Kelly
Darrin,
Thanks for the shout out! As you know, I think walking is way underrated. It’s such an easy and effective way to drop fat, I don’t know why so many people dismiss it. I’m with Kelly in that “Primal Blueprint” definitely changed my views on walking.
Alykhan
Darrin,
I agree that walking belongs in any fitness routine. I think one big advantage over HIIT is that walking reduces hemostasis and inflammation whereas HIIT only reduces hemostasis. So for cardiovascular health, nothing beats a good walk!
Dave
Walking on top of a restricted diet is great way to speed the fat loss. Especially if you walk around somewhere interesting (or with a great bunch of friends!)
@Kelly:
I love Johnny Cash’s music as well. I was fortunate enough to meet him about 10 or so years ago in Jamaica. He put out a lot of great music over many decades and rightfully is lauded as one of the greatest country musicians of all time.
@Alykhan:
You know it, dude! Your post really helped me figure out the different “levels” of cardio to a much better degree. Even though I don’t drop the terms “Primal” and “Paleo” around here much, I think it’s pretty clear that Sisson has been an enormous influence on me as well, despite a few quibbles I have with his stuff (the low-carb emphasis being the biggie.) My goal is to make it as easy as possible for guys to ratchet up their health and fitness to all-time highs, and the PB is one of the best ways I have found to do this.
@Dave:
Thanks for that point, I wasn’t aware of it. Bringing down inflammation is one of the key things we can do to get into better shape, but not a lot of people are talking about it.
@Yavor:
I agree. I am unabashedly frugal and love going for walks with friends and family (and the occasional canine companion).
Darrin, walking is a great way to reduce muscle inflammation from workouts too. I just love to do it because when I walk my dog, I feel that I’m also giving myself a break from my busy schedule. I use my walk time as a time to just relax and not worry about anything. In this case, it also has mental health benefits and my dog gets her exercise 🙂
Anna
@Anna:
I grew up in a household with dogs. Having them around is definitely a great way to force yourself to get some exercise, whether it’s playing outside or just going for a little walk.
Darrin,
So many people forget how important walking really is! I am glad you actually posted this so that more people realize that they need to actually get out and go walking. Like Anna said, it really helps with inflammation and I usually go for long walks on the beach in addition to walking my dog. People should just stop being so lazy and get out and be more active.
-Thomas
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