Walking isn't enough
- Grant Foreman
- Oct 10, 2015
- 2 min read
As a personal trainer, it seems as though people feel the need to treat me like a priest in a confessional; following up their crappy health confession with a qualifying statement like, “But I did go on a walk yesterday at least.”
We are a creative and resourceful species (…uh most of us) that can come up with some great excuses to get out of uncomfortable situations like working out, paying bills, using protection.
You might not like this, but walking isn’t really a workout.
Humans have some baseline activities like eating, sleeping, screwing, and WALKING that should kind of just be a given. Those are activities you need to do just to be at neutral.
Even the “30 minutes a day” of walking, commonly prescribed, is being shown to have only a slight reduction in heart disease and those who did more like an hour or two had significant reductions.
Travel in damn near any other country in the world and you’ll find your feet are sore from how much walking you’ve done with the locals.
We are bi-pedal animals and made to walk if not run. Show some tough love with yourself and don’t cosign your own bull by thinking that a walk will take care of it all. It will help absolutely to bring you from a negative operating space closer to neutral. But it will not bring about the fitness you probably desire.
Movement is critical, when we stop moving we start dying. If you are currently sedentary than walking is a great start. Set further goals for yourself to add some speed intervals to the walk.
Like every other street light you are going to power walk and then return back to your regular pace. Eventually, you can turn this into running between lights and then walking. Add some intensity to actually make our baseline activity into a workout.
Of course do nothing without a doctor’s consent if you feel unsure. Or hire a trainer even *wink-wink*.
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