Walking is the New (Fill in the Blank...)

[charliedid]

Walkers High IMO most certainly exists.

[slowpoke]

Modern America is so funny in that everything needs to be quantified and optimized. One can't just go for an evening constitutional after dinner, anymore. There needs to be reported health benefits and opportunity costs with other recovery activities.

[nmrt]

if they made anodized, double butted and swaged titanium shoes, i'd walk.
kidding aside, i do walk. but it is in the mountains, and i call it a hike. does that qualify? or is a "walk" one does in the neighborhood?

[GregL]

Walking with our family dog is one of the best times of my days. To me, it’s more spiritual than physical. Fresh air, the amazing sights of nature, and an excellent companion make walks one of my daily highlights. I’m pretty sure Max feels the same way.

Greg

[rePhil]

Besides walking to a store, I will walk on days when I can't ride, and even on some that I do. I am an early riser and like to walk in the early morning (3:30) and walk for two hours. I like listening to podcasts, or if there is a lot of rain as little clothing as I can get by with and leaving the headset at home.

[toby]

The socioeconomic factors apply to the efficiency side as well: while my wife and I are certainly fortunate by any reasonable definition, and can thus afford cycling, because we are still in our working years we can't afford the time to enough walking in to get the exercise we need. Thus, we ride and do triathlon (or did before the pandemic) and walk on recovery days or when injured.

[RFC]

Walking at a vigorous pace is a grossly under rated athletic activity. Humans are built to engage in mid level activity for long periods of time. That is human fitness.

[unterhausen]

I'm trying to do more walking. I think it's a good supplement to riding.

[BobbyJones]

I’m a walker. I find it’s a much better way to see things. If bike is to car, walking is to bike!

I found that in periods of intense training cycles, it’s an excellent form of active recovery as well.

I even toyed with going full Forrest Gump last spring, but ya know, Covid. Figured that would make things a little more complicated than I was looking for.

Hoping to be able to walk long distances long after my cycling and running days are done. It’s amazing how many older people can’t even do that.

[Nomadmax]

I use walking for days I'm off the bike.

[2LeftCleats]

Maybe if power meters were available, walking would be taken more seriously.

I used to relegate walking to that activity I did with my wife. Used to run a lot until ortho issues decided I wouldn’t. I do miss the pleasant exhaustion of a good run, but I now walk almost as many miles as I used to run, and living in the hills, I can get as much or as little workout as I want. It’s a daily habit, half the time with my wife, and all the time with our dog, so she stays fit too.

[JasonF]

We have a son who has autism and so for his entire life organized sports was out of the question. Instead, he and I walk 3 miles each evening after dinner. It's very meditative for us both and a great way to burn calories and get fresh air. Luckily we live in a very walkable part of L.A.

[duff_duffy]

Work the walk into your day is how I do it...park .5 mile from office, that gets me a mile into and out of work. Pack a sandwich and eat it while walking during hour lunch. Get up and walk around office once in a while. Gets me 5 miles walking just about everyday built into schedule before I leave office. Run 5 miles in evening for total of 10 miles day split between run/walk..,before I started walking I was overweight, had bad knees. Pulled a 10 mile run in 63 minutes the other day - 2 years ago could barely run a mile at that pace. Without walking never would be in shape I’m in. Between diet and walking I’m now in shape and knees have not hurt in a long time despite pounding miles. Try it for 3 months, your knees may actually feel better in long run for those that think knees are shot. Just get a good pair of shoes! Just throwing this story out there because it was not long ago I used to laugh at the idea of walking as part of a daily exercise routine. It really has been beneficial to me.

[XXtwindad]

Originally Posted by CZ413

If you haven’t already read them, Rebecca Solnit’s book Wanderlust and Frederic Gros’s book A Philosophy of Walking are both really worth reading.

I actually had a professional disagreement with this author several years ago, so my perceptions are surely influenced by this. I own the book. I think she’s a very skilled researcher but a pretty pedestrian (haha) writer.

[XXtwindad]

Originally Posted by RFC

Walking at a vigorous pace is a grossly under rated athletic activity. Humans are built to engage in mid level activity for long periods of time. That is human fitness.

Very well put.