Walking the best workout?

As they say, "abs are made in the kitchen". I've heard people say that up to 80% of weight loss is due to diet alone so I'd say focus on that before exercise.

Also, walking is just straight cardio which studies have shown aren't as effective as HIIT. Basically, cardio at one intensity causes you body to use more oxygen while you exercise, but the increased oxygen intake stops shortly after you stop. With High Intensity Interval Training, you go hard for a certain amount of time then go slowly for 1 to 4 times that amount of time. Doing this correctly can increase your oxygen intake for up to 24 hours and burn more calories. I'm not too sure about specific times so you can look it up.

Also, strength training is great too because it builds muscle which naturally burns more calories than fat so it'll raise the number of calories you burn while doing nothing. Be sure to go for the heaviest weights you can lift.

Good luck

 

Make sure your diet is healthy. I eat around 1200-1400 calories a day. I eat tuna, chicken, veggies, fruits, and healthy carbs. I also drink lots of water and that helped me a lot when I started walking.

Walking is straight cardio, you need calisthenics or weights and walking. Also, there could be a few reasons why you're gaining weight. You could be bloated because of the lack of water. Weird, I know. Also, you could be building muscle. If you did not have strong leg muscles or butt muscles and you're walking, especially on inclines you will build muscle.

 

Honestly, walking is not among the best workout most likely if you are trying to lose weight because through it you are not losing a lot of calories in a given amount of time as compared when you are even doing low intensity running. And because you might be thinking that because you are working out and burning a lot, you tend to eat more thinking you could just burn the calories from what you eat through walking which in fact you don't.

 

You could work out all day, every day but it all comes back to what's going in your mouth. A great work-out doesn't mean anything without a great diet. And by diet, I just mean balanced, healthy meals with plenty of water throughout the day.

That being said, I don't know if walking is the best workout but its one of my favorites. Its also sometimes the only work-out I can get done in between working at home and chasing after my toddler. We walk to the mailbox and at least around the block everyday. Then, when my husband gets home, all three of us go on about a mile and a half walk. I feel pretty good after its over. I feel even better when I come home and make a healthy meal!

 

My mom already turned 80 this year and she is still very much fit because of walking. She religiously follows her morning routine of walking 2-3 miles per day on her treadmill at 5mph. She has been doing this for the past decade and she seems healthier than other seniors who are 15-20 years younger than her. She can still climb the stairs up and down without even holding on the railings. So is it the best workout? I would agree. Now about your weight gain, as what dustysmommy2013 has mentioned, you have to watch your diet too. Walking alone is not a single solution. It should come hand in hand with proper diet and discipline.

 

In my personal experience, the best workout is walking because it is the one I enjoy the most. I picked up that particular healthy habit from my mother who is now 78 and continues to walk every morning for about 3 miles. She has been following her routine for the last 30 years. I enjoy walking outdoors but I also mix it up by doing some DVDs from time to time. Leslie Sansone's Walk Away The Pounds DVDs are good and they incorporate some light weights so that you can add a little more intensity to your workout.

 

I would agree with the comments above that diet is really a key element to losing weight. You need to get control of diet as well as exercising to see a major loss happen.

Walking itself is an excellent low impact exercise, and is perfect to get underway on a workout routine. I walk about 3 miles a day as well, and generally try to keep my pace at about 4.2 mph. This gives me a pretty good cardio workout and a fat burn (burning about 600 calories in 45 minutes). That said, be careful, you will need to change progressions, and add in hill climbing as well to keep your body from plateauing as well.

To supplement the walking, I've now added high impact aerobics (T25) to my regimen, 5 days a week.

It is possible that the weight gain might also be muscle mass if you have been sedentary for a long portion of time.

I'm seeing great results, so keep with it and you will get there!