Sounds like a good idea to me. I had a cheap pedometer and it was so messed up, It showed I would do 10 step for every one I took.

It takes just over 2,000 steps to walk one mile, and 10,000 steps is close to 5 miles.

Here is a link that might be useful: walking

Hoping to improve my health and lose 20 pounds, I started walking. I get up every morning at 5:30 and walk about 2-3 miles (with the happy puppy).

I was so proud of myself. Recently a friend asked me, "What are you doing for exercise these days?" I told her about the walking, and she said, "Yeah, but what are you doing for exercise?"

She said that walking doesn't get the heart rate up enough and won't do anything to improve your health or your waist line and that if I wanted to lose any weight, I needed a real workout. She then proceed to tell me about a 60-year-old friend who gets up every morning and spends 40 minutes at the gym and - btw - she's in great shape.

That really took the wind out of my sails!

Anyone know if walking is serious exercise? I thought it was, and I walk pretty fast.

Rose

It is similar to the 30 minutes of vigorous physical activity 3 times a week or 20 minutes of moderate physical activity 5 days a week (or 150 minutes per week of either vigorous or moderate physical activity). The 10,000 is just an easier way of tracking. The difference between vigorous and moderate varies by person and by activity choice.

Kids are recommended to get 60 minutes of physical activity every day. There are no step counts for kids.

All of these are commendations for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. To lose weight, you would need to do more (at least after your body grew accustom to this amount).

You may start hearing talk about your state's "Physical activity plan". Here is a link to the US Physical Activity Plan:
http://www.physicalactivityplan.org/

Hope this helps,
Janie (who needs to do more of what she is sharing!!!!!)

Here is a link that might be useful: 10000 Steps - Shape Up America!

rosemary - walking can be great exercise. But walking alone is not usually considered sufficient. My doctor reminds me that weight bearing exercises are necessary to help maintain strong bones - especially for women. And of course cardio for the heart.

Walking will burn off calories. If you burn off more calories than you take in, you will lose weight, it's as simple as that. I lost 15 pounds over the summer without doing any cardio or strenuous exercise. I cut back on what I ate and I walked.

Maire_cate, walking *is* a weight-bearing exercise, and if you get to the point where you're breaking a sweat and starting to breathe a bit hard, it's also a cardio exercise.

Rosemaryt, I want to shoot your friend! Here you are, doing great, and she bursts your bubble.

Walking is a great exercise!! If that's all you do, you are doing something. But I do agree with Maire cate--try to add some resistance exercises. As we age we do lose bone. You dont need heavy weights (try doing a lot of tricep exercises with 5 pound weights--ouch) and there are a ton of great dvds so you can do it at home. Should only take 20 mins a day. Great job, and keep it up. It's great your pup is getting the benefits, too.

The only thing I've been able to manage is the resistance part.

I resist doing all of the other stuff..

Sue

and walking is great for blood pressure..and helps regulate sugars too...

I saw this. I don't get nearly enough exercise. I start a half-hearted program now and then, but don't stick to it.

My goal each day is for 10,000 steps and most days I manage to get to 20,000. Guess the average for me is 18,000. I have a pedometer and have it calibrated to my steps. Its takes a few minutes to get it set, but think its very accurate. I wear it everyday and it is concealed under my clothing. Its not a secret that I am in my seventies and this works for me. I still weigh the same as I did as a teenager, and give the credit to my walking. Yes, the weight the same, but the weight has shifted around to other places.

I wear a pedometer everyday and my average is 15,000 to 18,000 steps a day.

I keep a set of weights on my coffee table and use them 4 times a week. I do it while I am watching tv, usually 20-30 minutes. I also march in place during commerials.

My doctor told me that walking is very good but he suggested when I'm doing it as an exercise program I leave my pooch at home. He said walking is good when you keep up a constant pace and don't do a lot of stops and restarts. My dog is one that loves to stop, sniff and look around so it seems I can never keep the pace when he's with me.

Good to see so many of us are walkers and exercising each day. I picked up exercise tips from the postings. I was a runner back in my forties, and closer to 50 started the walking. One other thing I do is post each days food in a journal that is online. For years I was keeping a journal of my food and exercise. When the online was suggested to me, it makes it very easy to keep track of my exercise, food and calories each day. Sure any exercise and fitness site on the internet does the very same. It was a great tool for me. At the end of each day , I can see my nutrition for the day .

For the past four weeks I've been working out on the company gym's treadmill 4-5 nights a week doing 3-4 miles at a brisk walk. I also add incline to help build up my hiking endurance. During the workout my heart rate runs between 128 and 136. I'm also eating salads and WW meals, drinking water, lots of water and hike at least once a week. So far I don't feel like I'm making much progress.

I had a doctor appointment yesterday and weighed in more than I did before starting my workouts. And please don't tell me muscle weighs more than fat because at this point I should have lost at least a pound regardless of how "buff" (LOL) I am. My blood pressure was a bit high too. I'm so disappointed.

I'll keep it going though because I really need to work on my inclines for easier hiking but geez.

Jodi-