It can be time consuming due to the sheer length and duration, but I have found fat falling off in the places I have most issues (lower abdomen, chest, and back). It’s free, it’s super chill, and I have found it clearing my mind too. In combination with more intense regime, I think it is a a necessary supplemental exercise. I think walking outside is probably better (it feels more natural to me at least), but just a plain ol’ treadmill or other cardio machine will probably get those steps up. Its super low-impact, easy, and do-able.

I’m dropping weight and I’m finding my brain rebooting in some places as well. It’s overall super great and I encourage every Hexbear to increase their step count.

bridget-yoyo-walk

  • LaughingLion [any, any]@hexbear.net
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    7 months ago

    guys gals and nonbinary pals let me tell you how much better an existential crisis is while walking vs curling into a ball at home

    this isnt even a joke post or anything

    10/10 would recommend

  • frankfurt_schoolgirl [she/her]@hexbear.net
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    7 months ago

    Im glad that’s working so well for you! I was always skeptical about exercise for weight loss because one summer I trained for and ran a half marathon, and my weight stayed exactly the same. But I moved to a new place this year, and I can walk to work every day now, and I’ve had the same experience. I feel pretty good even when I don’t do any structured exercise, I’ve lost a couple of pounds, abd honestly the walk to work is the best part of my day sometimes.

    dprk-walk

    • i know what you mean. there’s something to be said just for the mental benefits of a simple activity like walking for cumulatively about 30-45 minutes a day, becoming accustomed to the sights, sounds, smells, and seasonality of a place in the intimate way of walking it. when i was WFH, i used to do a few miles several times a week but now that i have to “back to normal” i’ve been parking about a mile from my office in a quiet neighborhood and walking the rest. apart from a busy intersection or two, it’s one of the most pleasant parts of my day.

      • YearOfTheCommieDesktop [they/them]@hexbear.net
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        7 months ago

        that’s a really clever move with the commute. I think it’s hard for most people to justify lengthening their commute but walking/biking isn’t on the same level as a driving commute, it’s much more enjoyable. I’m perpetually running late tho so it’d be hard for me to do something like that I bet

    • JohnBrownNote [comrade/them, des/pair]@hexbear.net
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      7 months ago

      can’t outrun a bad diet and we’re pretty efficient at distance running. eating an extra 300 calories every day costs a couple hours of light exercise or requires you to increase the intensity of whatever you were already doing. building muscle to increase your resting metabolism can help but it’s marginal.

      my experience matches yours, the easiest management i’ve ever had was when i could bike year-round and was biking to work or somewhere most days but the bigger deal was tracking calories accurately in conjunction with the increased activity level.

      hunger is the real enemy, it’s one of the only sufferings i can actually alleviate at will so it’s pretty impossible to deliberately sit around feeling like shit instead of eating something and both not feeling hungry and getting all the happy brain chemicals.

    • the_kid [he/him]@hexbear.net
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      7 months ago

      there’s actually research that shows just exercising alone does nothing for weight loss. our bodies are really good at maintaining equilibrium and simply increasing our appetites to compensate for the calories burned. you/OP are probably consciously just eating less.

    • RollaD20 [comrade/them, any]@hexbear.net
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      7 months ago

      for 10k steps it’ll be ~4.5 miles with some variation based on stride.

      In terms of pace, a typical pace is between 20-30 minutes per mile.

      Depending on how much walking one does and their walking pace, 40 minutes to an hour should shore up steps.

    • LGOrcStreetSamurai [he/him]@hexbear.netOP
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      7 months ago

      I’m hitting about 12K a day per week (I don’t know of that makes sense). Some days less, some days more, but a week’s worth of walking for me is about ~12K steps per day. I am a very boring man who just reads comics, plays video games, and hits the gym. My gym is within walking distance, and my library (where I get my comics) is as well.

  • 7bicycles [he/him]@hexbear.net
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    7 months ago

    yeah everyday activity is so important. I’ve had some rough patches as per consumption habits / mental health in my life and I’m pretty sure if I didn’t go everywhere by bike (and even that’s only like 30km or so a week) it’d have gotten so, so much worse.

  • WayeeCool [comrade/them]@hexbear.net
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    7 months ago

    Yeah. I’ve personally found the same to work. I’d normally throw an 80LB weight vest on because it increases the calorie burn but since I was just walking didn’t increase the effort much. Ofc, pick the weight based on your build otherwise it’s gonna be hard on your knees.

    Taking a 10,000 step walk obviously helps with weight loss. Around 3,000 steps is 2 miles and 10,000 steps is a 7 mile walk.

  • Eris235 [undecided]@hexbear.net
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    7 months ago

    Just moving is great. I think walking (or equivalent) I good amount everyday is more important than any other point of fitness. Lifting is great, and getting at least 10 minutes of raised heartrate (cardio) is also very important.

    But time, energy, and attention are limited, and if you have to pick one thing to try to do everyday, walking a few miles would 100% be what I’d recommend. I don’t have a problem with weight, but I do have one with blood pressure and cholesterol (despite im-vegan and home cooking; genetics is a bitch), and making myself walk or bike for at least a half hour everyday has helped my blood pressure a lot.

  • sharedburdens [she/her, comrade/them]@hexbear.net
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    7 months ago

    I fucking love walking any day I can avoid being in a car is a good one- though im-vegan and eat my own cooking 6/7 days and I actually found it hard to keep my weight up with my normal activity levels before I started shamelessly dumping olive oil on everything I eat.

  • Beaver [he/him]@hexbear.net
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    7 months ago

    Great work chad

    I think walking outside is probably better

    Definitely. It can feel more difficult to do in the winter or summer if you’re in a place with extreme climates, but if you just start doing it, you’ll quickly find yourself figuring out how to dress for cold, windy winter walking, and acclimatizing your body for hot, humid summer walking. You *can *do it, and it eventually will feel fine and normal… but it does suck at first if you’re not used to the elements.

    and I have found it clearing my mind too.

    The best part. I try to leave my phone at home when I go out, I find that I have a lot to think about, and feel more calm at the end of the walk.

    • charly4994 [she/her, comrade/them]@hexbear.net
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      7 months ago

      Definitely. It can feel more difficult to do in the winter or summer if you’re in a place with extreme climates, but if you just start doing it, you’ll quickly find yourself figuring out how to dress for cold, windy winter walking, and acclimatizing your body for hot, humid summer walking. You *can *do it, and it eventually will feel fine and normal… but it does suck at first if you’re not used to the elements.

      When I was in college in Arizona I was able to walk around in the horrid summer heat pretty damn well. The first few times were hell and especially because I hadn’t gotten the hydration part down. Eventually I acclimitized, got used to just stopping at circle k to top up my drink for like 60 cents and walking 12 miles one direction because Phoenix is designed for cars and fuck you if you dare try to walk. Getting a bike was amazing though. Nice large flat areas to pick up speed and still with 12 mile trips one way, but it took 2 hours, not all day.