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

[XXtwindad]

Originally Posted by prototoast

If anyone has fun walking, I'm not here to stop you. I was mostly responding to your point about the "fitness hierarchy" where walking is, rightfully in my opinion, at the bottom.

As I said, I walk a lot. Much more than most, but if I didn't spend so much time walking, I'd have the time and energy to do other fitness activities. Ones that would do more for my overall fitness. Because I walk so much, I am weaker, heavier, and more fatigued than if I walked less.

So sure, if walking is something you enjoy, or it's all you can do for exercise, that's great, walk! I just think that it's rightfully at the bottom of the fitness hierarchy because I can't think of anything else that we consider "fitness" activities that do less for "fitness" than walking.

Interesting feedback.

Fitness is a “macro” science just like economics. For the vast majority of people (not just Prototoast) walking is the single best thing people can do for their fitness. Most people will never have the desire to cycle up Mt. Diablo or have access to a pool.

I’m curious what your metrics are for fitness. Even for the racers here, speed inevitably declines as you age. But that doesn’t necessarily correlate to a loss of fitness. You can do nothing but cycle in your forties. In your fifties, if you take up yoga and strength training for the first time, you will be much fitter than you were previously. Regardless of how much speed you’ve lost (or haven’t) on the bike.

[joosttx]

I have been walking since nine months old. Im not sure there has been a day I haven’t walk since. I am a fan.

[retrofit]

Walking is the New...sliced bread.

[reuben]

Originally Posted by joosttx

I have been walking since nine months old. Im not sure there has been a day I haven’t walk since. I am a fan.

Inventing the (bicycle) wheel was surely our downfall.

I'm a fan of walking, especially in the woods, over uneven terrain and unpaved routes.

[rustychisel]

Absolutely not.

Walking is why God invented the bicycle. To suggest otherwise is heresy.

[saab2000]

I have a 5-mile loop I routinely walk. It is fantastic and I wish I had the discipline to do it more. But I do it several times a week year round.

[oldpotatoe]

With the, ya know, weirdness of the last year or so and particularly these last 4 weeks..I walk with my wife almost everyday..exercise and even tho the republic is very safe(has been until...)..for piece of mind, so she doesn't walk alone..

Say hello to neighbors, see the foxes and occasional deer, new house construction....etc..talk about the weirdness and how the 'tunnel' is getting further away these last weeks...bizarre political 'dynamic' these days...

walking is good.

[SlowPokePete]

I wouldn't say I love walking, but my two dogs need to be taken out on leash for 30-60 minutes every afternoon or the literally bug the hell out of us.

My wife, also, needs the exercise. She doesn't ride, although would be more likely to ride if the bike path was closer, so I pretty much owe it to the three of them to walk every day.

Honestly, if I didn't ride as much as I do, I would seriously be trying to walk longer distances on a daily basis.

SPP

[fiamme red]

A wise man once said: "Don’t run if you can walk. Don’t walk if you can stand. Don’t stand if you can sit. Don’t sit if you can lie down."

Seriously, I used to love walking both in the city and country and would often go out on a whim for a vigorous walk of five or even ten miles. I walked a lot last year. But I've developed a heel spur, and a walk of five miles in February left me hobbling around in pain for days. Now I'm glad just to be able to walk a few blocks to the grocery store and back.

[Tandem Rider]

Back in the 90s there was a former Olympic swimmer who hung out with our race team. He also raced bikes, did triathlons etc. all around great athlete. One fall he gets into race walking. Before you declare all walking to be easy, try race walking. It's an Olympic sport for a reason. BTW, he was 20 years my senior and I could do fine in P12 races but couldn't keep up with him race walking.

[weisan]

The whole spirit behind 🚶 is... Keep it simple.

Don't overthink.

[Dave Ferris]

.

[NHAero]

Yesterday I walked three level miles - our road in both directions - with a wheelbarrow to pick up roadside trash in an early nod to Earth Day. I was more bushed than from the 15 mile MTB ride in the morning!

Like many of you, most of my walking is with the dog.

[toby]

Originally Posted by saab2000

I have a 5-mile loop I routinely walk. It is fantastic and I wish I had the discipline to do it more. But I do it several times a week year round.

Out of curiosity, if you really enjoy it, why does it take discipline to do it as regularly as you'd like? It seems like that would be easy.

[reuben]

Walking is the new bacon.