The Hard, Cold, Cruel Facts About Walking

Is your walking routine walking all over your weight loss goals?  Unless you’re going about it at a mad crazy pace and/or doing it in the form of hiking, the answer’s probably a depressing yes. 

In fact, if you’re walking to lose weight, you’d be just about as well off shopping, cleaning, gardening or cooking.

Say what?

Here are the sobering facts:

[The information is based on a 150 person, so if you weigh more than 150, you'll burn a little more.  If you weigh less than 150, you'll burn a little less.] 

1. 30 minutes walking at a moderate pace will burn 112 calories.
2. 30 minutes cleaning house will burn 119 calories.
3. 30 minutes cooking will burn 85 calories.
4. 30 minutes grocery shopping, with a cart, will burn 119 calories.

We’d actually burn a few more calories cleaning house or grocery shopping than walking! And we’d have something to show for it - like a spiffy house or a pantry full of goodies….all healthy and lo-cal, of course.

Yet, we walkers will do our thing - all the while thinking that we’re on top of this fitness thing.  “Sure, I can have that burger. I earned it.”  Uh huh.  Granted, we’ll also find ourselves groaning, “With all that activity, how are the pounds not just melting off?”

Problem is “all that activity” really isn’t all that impressive to stubborn calories.  They’re like, “Pfffff…”  Since we’re outdoors and, if the weather’s warm, probably sweating, we’re fooled into thinking we’re doing more than we actually are.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not AT ALL saying we shouldn’t walk.  Walking is amazing, amazing exercise, and fresh air is always a good thing.  I’m just saying that if we rely on it as our sole means of losing weight, we’re in for a long, disappointing road.  I walk every day and wouldn’t even dream of stopping. It makes me feel great, and I can tell the difference on days I can’t walk. I love walking, it just isn’t the best weight loss game in town.

So, what’s a walker to do?  Below are a few ideas:

• Mix it up a little.  Walk for a minute, then speed walk for a minute, then jog for a minute.  Then, go back to walking normally and repeat the cycle over again.  For whatever reasons, your heart and body loves this little game and will insist on rewarding you.
• Keep your normal walking routine…after all, 112 calories burned are better than 0 calories burned.  Just add MORE activity to the rest of the day.  Plant a garden, then water and weed it several times a week.  This is incredible exercise and will give you all sorts of great, healthy food - and flowers, too.  Mustn’t forget the flowers.  Another cool way to sneak in some activity is to get up during all of the commercials while watching your favorite program(s).  If you do the twist for a combined total of 14 minutes, for example, you will have burned off 150 calories!
• I saved this one for last, because that’s what it deserves.  Cut back on the number of calories consumed during the day.  I think all of us could eat a lot less than we do - and feel better for our efforts.  I don’t know about where you live, but in the south, we’re raised thinking that a meal has to include meat, three vegetables, bread with real butter and honey or preserves, and then dessert.   Anything less?  Well that means the cook wasn’t raised right….or isn’t right with God…or both.

The best way to enjoy walking is to find a hiking trail.  Just be sure you play it safe and never go marching off alone.  (I know, I know - I’m mothering you, but I can’t help it.)  Most places have state parks nearby.  Look into it - it could be a lot of fun! Do a Google search for trails in your area, there are probably some you didn’t even know about.  Trails + “Your state” will give you a great place to start.

Happy trails!