Does walking not count at cardio?

xyokoma

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So i do a fair bit of walking these days, around 11km each day and tracker usually sits at around 400kcal at the end of the day.

A friend whos PT tells me walking doesnt really burn any calories at all and the tracker's data is useless.

I am a firm believer in numbers but i do sort of get where he's coming from. However, i have very little knowledge in that area.

So my question to you guys, do you count walking as cardio or at least do you think excessive walking does burn a similar of calories to what the tracker shows? And do you substitute a part of your cardio routines with walking?

Are 400kcal of running equal to 400kcal of walking when it comes to the effect on the body?

Sorry for this retard question, but i might as well find out now if substituting part of cardio with walking is useless.
 

ron1204

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In my opinion 400 calories exherted are the same whether it's walking, sprinting or working out. Now, as in CARDIO, like actual cardio benefits, I don't think it's very beneficial. Running or jogging should have much better cardio benefits. this is just what I think, anyone with credential proof can give better response
 

Milo

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You burn calories sleeping so thats a ridiculous ****ing statement.
Depends on how much you want to burn and on your goals. I dont try to burn calories but I do a ton of walking at school and Im out of shape so Im heaving pretty good afterwards.
 

BigSwolePump

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Cardio involves getting your heart rate elevated for an extended period of time. I can walk a mile at a normal pace without elevating my heart rate. What do you think?


Edit:

Ok so I guess there is 2 different approaches to this. Fat loss and actual cardio vascular benefits. Sure walking burns calories/fat. Is 400 calories burned walking any different than 400 calories burned doing another form of cardio? No, 400 calories is 400 calories.

If you are looking for cardio vascular benefits ie strengthening the heart, casually walking throughout the day is not going to be the best choice. You are going to have to get that heart rate up.
 
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MrRippedZilla

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If we're talking cardio for fat loss, rather than cardiovascular benefits, then I'd argue that walking is superior to the "usual" methods due to the low intensity and long duration that is possible with it. You could even say that increasing EE through daily activity (ie walking more) completely negates the need for actual cardio sessions to burn calories.

Your friends' PT is also an idiot. As someone who has a few clients with desk treadmills, I can say factually that walking throughout the day burns A LOT more than a typical 1hr cardio session. A lot more.
 
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Bro Bundy

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Walking works but eventually you wanna crank things up
 

Dungeon Dweller

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The more you walk the less you are sitting. Sitting for long periods of time puts your metabolism into low gear.
If you are looking for cardiovascular conditioning you need to increase the intensity. If just burning cals... you're doing it right.
 

Bro Bundy

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Walking is better then nothing but to get really lean it takes more high intensity training..walking is a great way to start doing cardio
 
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Everyone walks around throughout the day

I'm not understanding this logic
I sit at a desk staring at a computer screen for most of an 8 hour day. Add in a total of about an hour for commute time. I don't get to walk very much throughout the day.
 

PillarofBalance

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The idiot trainer I think is misunderstanding the idea of locomotion. If I am considering your daily activity level to find an appropriate amount of calories for you i don't count those 7 times you got up from the desk to get something out of the filing cabinet or you walk to the toilet. There is zero intensity or duration.

Your lengthy walking counts as exertion in my book.
 

MrRippedZilla

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Everyone walks around throughout the day

I'm not understanding this logic
The bold part is wrong. That's why you don't understand the logic.
What Nightmare described is what most people do throughout the day - walking is minimal.
 

stonetag

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Absolutely nothing wrong with walking, keeps the juices flowing, literally.
 

Solomc

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This should be labeled as FAST pace walking. One of if not the greatest forms of cardio and ease of joints on the body.

Again the "intensity level" is what classifies it as cardio.
 

trodizzle

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So i do a fair bit of walking these days, around 11km each day and tracker usually sits at around 400kcal at the end of the day.

A friend whos PT tells me walking doesnt really burn any calories at all and the tracker's data is useless.

I am a firm believer in numbers but i do sort of get where he's coming from. However, i have very little knowledge in that area.

So my question to you guys, do you count walking as cardio or at least do you think excessive walking does burn a similar of calories to what the tracker shows? And do you substitute a part of your cardio routines with walking?

Are 400kcal of running equal to 400kcal of walking when it comes to the effect on the body?

Sorry for this retard question, but i might as well find out now if substituting part of cardio with walking is useless.

All activities like that burn calories, I guess the question would be how you define cardio. Is cardio X cals burned per minute or when your HR gets over a certain amount. I think in general if using a tracker you would see your calorie burn over what it would be if you were sitting watching TV but are you burning enough extra calories to hit your goals? Just where my head goes when reading this.
 
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All activities like that burn calories, I guess the question would be how you define cardio. Is cardio X cals burned per minute or when your HR gets over a certain amount. I think in general if using a tracker you would see your calorie burn over what it would be if you were sitting watching TV but are you burning enough extra calories to hit your goals? Just where my head goes when reading this.
I think cardio is shirt for cardiovascular exercise, and walking is not cardiovascular exercise. As mentioned earlier, people burn calories sleeping. Sleep isn't cardio.
Just because it burns calories doesn't mean it's cardio.
 

trodizzle

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I think cardio is shirt for cardiovascular exercise, and walking is not cardiovascular exercise. As mentioned earlier, people burn calories sleeping. Sleep isn't cardio.
Just because it burns calories doesn't mean it's cardio.

It depends I think, if it increases the heartbeat and gets blood moving, it can be considered a form of cardio but it is subjective by how much and what your goal is. Even a small increase in heart rate and blood flow could be considered cardio albeit it would be considered minor compared some high level HIIT or something. Not sure if there is a defined line of what it takes for something to be considered "cardio" but anything is better than nothing in my book.
 
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Sure depends how far and long you walk and how fast paced your walk is...this is obvious to me though.

I went to bed weighing 223lbs woke up and weighed 218 fasted...my body is burning through fuel, water lost, and recovering etc..I'd count a Long walk as calories but why not a Jog or HIT cardio?
 

xyokoma

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Thanks everyone for the answers. Sorry i didnt make it clear as i did indeed have weight loss in mind and not the cardiovascular benefits.

.I'd count a Long walk as calories but why not a Jog or HIT cardio?

The 11km i mentioned in my thread is me walking to/from work, besides that
I do do HIIT here and there but it sure isnt my favourite. ��
 

Bro Bundy

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I damn near tore my hamstring doing sprints.Buy a bike and hit the road
 

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