Does Walking Count as Exercise?
Walking is just something we do every day, but can it really be counted as exercise? We don’t really think of the daily activities we do as exercise, but if they burn calories, why wouldn’t they be?
Does walking count as exercise? You are burning calories as you walk, and it is an activity, so walking could easily be considered exercise in a technical sense. It has all the hallmarks of exercise. We just tend to not think of it as exercise because we may not be working up a sweat or significantly increasing our heart rate while we do it.
Did you know that you burn calories even while you’re at rest? You even burn calories when you’re sleeping. It’s not a lot, but you are still getting rid of some fat. Your body is using up energy for even the most sedentary of activities. Walking is certainly not a sedentary activity, though. It’s more active than sitting, sleeping, or even standing.
So yes, you can count walking as exercise, but how you do it can affect how many calories you’re burning. Let’s talk about how different types of walking affect your calorie usage and weight loss.
Does Walking at Work Count as Exercise?
A lot of us will do plenty of walking at work. We may not think of it as exercise but moving around our workspace and visiting different offices or parts of the work building all count as work. It’s definitely more work and more calories burned if you’re walking up and down stairs rather than a flat surface. You should definitely count all of this as exercise.
If you don’t believe you live an active lifestyle, you might change your mind once you think about all the walking you do. Many people are more active than they think they are simply because they’re not counting walking as exercise, but it really is.
In order to burn more calories, many people will walk to work rather than take a car or a train. You can burn more calories by walking up stairs than taking the elevator. Looking for little ways like this to burn extra calories can help you to live a more active lifestyle and lose weight faster. While you’re not doing cardio necessarily, the extra walking you do does make a difference and can impact your waistline and other problem areas.
Does Walking in Place Count as Exercise?
Okay, so we have established that walking from one place to another at work can be exercise, but certainly walking in place can’t be. Right?
Did you know that walking in place for 25 minutes burns an average of 148 calories? That sounds like exercise to me. One great way to make good use of your time is to step in place while you’re watching TV or during commercial breaks. You can simply stand up and take steps without going anywhere. Over the course of an hour-long show, you’ll have burn around 150 calories. That’s 150 calories you wouldn’t have otherwise burned, so good for you.
You can probably find lots of little ways where you can take the time to step in place and burns some extra calories. You can do this while talking on the phone, washing dishes, and cleaning. Look for opportunities to burn extra calories and you’ll notice the difference after a while.
Does Walking 10,000 Steps Count as Exercise?
Is walking really burning that much fat or making much of an impact? If you just walk a few minutes here and there, those few minutes don’t do very much. You won’t be burning very many calories each time you step in place just a few minutes at a time or walk for a few minutes at a time. However, if you do this throughout the day and throughout the week, you will make a definite impact. You can make up for an entire workout session just by finding time to step in place throughout your week.
A lot of people aim to walk about 10,000 steps every day, keeping track of how many steps they are walking by using a Fitbit or some other step tracker. If you have a goal to reach for, you’ll see results much more quickly. Not setting the goal means that you may fall way below or way above your daily average from day to day. If you set a specific goal for each day, you’re more likely to do very well and be consistent.
Walking 10,000 steps a day equates to about 5 miles of walking. That’s a lot of distance. If you’re counting your trips to the bathroom, the time do you step outside for fresh air, moving from one workstation to another, getting out of bed and going about your house, all of that adds up. You may hit 5 miles sooner than you think. You can make up the remainder by going for walk in the evening.
Walking 10,000 steps a day can definitely make an impact on your weight loss goals and your overall body fat. How much you lose and how many calories you’ll burn with those 10,000 steps will depend on your body weight, the terrain you’re walking on, and how fast you’re moving. A faster pace or steeper incline will result in more calories burned.
Does Walking Your Dog Count as Exercise?
As I mentioned already, a lot of the activities you do every day can count as exercise. You can be burning calories every time you take steps, so walking your dog definitely counts as exercise.
You can burn more fat when you walk your dog by choosing an inclined surface to walk on or rough terrain. Taking your dog for a walk through the park and go into the grass will burn more calories and if you’re staying on the walking path. You’ll also burn more calories if you take a little jog with your dog rather than just walking the whole way.
Your dog’s needs can be great motivation to keep you walking every day. Instead of letting your dog out of the house to run around for a while or move on a long leash, you can take your dog for a walk, benefiting you both.
Closing Thoughts
There are all kinds of things you can do to walk more and get more out of your walking. There are all sorts of great ways to burn more fat while you walk and to make your walking more effective.
We’ve talked about the question of: “Does walking a lot at work count as exercise?” You know the answer now, and I hope you’ll take a little pride in yourself and the activities you do. You can feel good about all of the walking you are doing. Just moving around your home and going about your daily activities makes an impact on your waistline. You may surprise yourself if you start tracking all the walking you do.
If you do start tracking or movements, this can help to motivate you to walk even more. You can see how easy it is to do 1,000 steps each day, and you might want to push yourself harder to hit 10,000 steps or even more than that. If you’re interested in getting the most out of your walking and using walking throughout the day to help burn fat, I definitely suggest getting a fitness tracker. This will help you set to goals and burn more fat faster.
