Does anybody else JUST walk for exercise?
 

I've been at the weight loss/maintenance game for over a year now. I have tried this entire time to get enthusiastic about exercise. I've tried different things (Wii Fit, different fitness DVDs, working out with friends, several classes at the gym, different times of the day, different routines, setting goals, etc). Every new thing I try, I try to stick with it for several weeks to see if it ever becomes habit. Every minute of deliberate working out that I do, I resent. I simply hate it. It's not that I'm so lazy that I just want to be sedentary all day, I live an active life and enjoy moving, I just hate exercising just for the sake of exercising.

The one and only thing that I've been able to stick with, and surprisingly, even enjoy is walking. I walk a minimum of 60 minutes every single day. I ALWAYS do a 15 minute walk first thing in the morning. Then I'll either go on two shorter walks or a longer 45-min walk at the very least. For the most part, I truly enjoy it and I often go on extra walks to pass the time or just because it's a pretty day outside. Even when I am not really into it, I can pretty much always get myself outside to walk for a few minutes, whereas I had a very hard time forcing myself to run or go to the gym.

I like hiking, trails, walking around town or neighborhoods. I walk at a brisk pace, but no speedwalking.

Sometimes I feel that this is inadequate. I see so many other people on here, no matter what weight or point in their weight loss, who are so much more active and enthusiastic about exercise than I am. And major props to you guys, I wish I had an ounce of that enthusiasm, lol. I have done the fitness thing, this spring, I was running 3 miles most days of the week, lifting weights several times a week, and all that jazz. But I'm so much happier and more content now, even without being as physically fit. The only thing I feel like I should add is weight training, and I think I could manage that without resenting it much.

Anybody else just walk or primarily walk for exercise?

Yes, me. I have the same pattern of trying my darndest and gyms but only losing cash, not weight, because I cannot get it to stick. TBH, sometimes I genuinely am too busy to go.

So I walk every day, between 30 - 90 minutes on a normal day, longer if I'm on holiday.

It's usesless for toning my apple belly but it's been great for general fitness and mental relaxation. :)

I'm kind of the same way. I've belonged to the gym before and I dragged myself to do it but I never learned to like it. It was something that had to be done like the dishes or balancing the checkbook and it was also something that I couldn't really stick with for the long term because I loathed it so much.

Walking though? That works for me. I can do it easily in my own home or out in the woods. It doesn't require special equipment or extra money and I don't feel like I'm exercising which means that I don't resent it at all.

Walking is half of my exercise. On M-F I walk for half an hour each day, I enjoy my half hour walks, it gets me out of the office as well :)

Plenty of people lose weight with walking- it's a GREAT exercise IMO.

Yes, me. And I don't usually do it as setting out to exercise specifically by walking. I just walk everywhere it's feasible to walk. I am often walking for hours a day, since I do daily shopping for fruits and vegetables and such. I walk at an amazingly brisk clip, my cardiovascular fitness is really good, and while I'd like to get back into yoga or something like that, I've honestly found the best way for me to be active is...to be active. As much as possible, all the time, just doing my daily routine. I often joke that gardening and lugging around heavy bags of groceries is my strength-building exercise, but you know, it really is. Once I stopped thinking of walking as an exercise I had to do, because you have to exercise to lose/maintain weight, and just my favourite form of transport, I was a lot happier.

Not me, but I love to share this little bit to encourage those who do. There is a fellow poster around here who lost over 100 pounds just walking circles through her house! :D Inside the house!! I am just in awe of that.

I do not so much enjoy walking unless it's with a friend.

If that's what you like, do it. I know a couple of local ladies who walk 5-8 miles a day, every day. They look great.

Walking is great exercise. You do need strength training 3 times a week to maintain muscle and bone mass. I have osteoporosis because I only walked and now I have added water aerobics and strength training 3 times a week to keep what I have.

I have just been mainly walking also. I do free weights but am pretty inconsistent, I'd like to do it on a regular basis. I despise most other types of exercise though I am going to be taking a Pilates class starting in December which I am excited about.

Yup! Occasionally I'll take a spinning class or something, but walking is the only exercise I love.

Since I'm 8 months pregnant, all I can really do is walk. And at first I thought it was too slow for me, I used to run 6 miles a day. However, now I notice the little things. For example, in my neighborhood, there is this house with a daughter and every week she draws a new pretty picture on their driveway with chalk. It's always something happy and carefree and I look forward to see what she's drawn!

On the plus side, me weight maintenance has been pretty stable since I'm only walking. I was afraid the lack of physical activity would throw my body into shock, but it has surprisingly done really well! (I can't actually gain weight at this point even if I try!)

So you walk your little butt off! Take deep breaths, enjoy the scenery, and see how many things you notice differently!

My mom is 64 and maintains between 125-130 at 5'6 simply through mindful eating and walking 3 miles/1 hour a day. She's been at it for years and looks great.

It's not a contest to see who has the most grueling workouts or anything! Walking is obviously working well for you, and it's really nice. I like walking socially and I walk to work.

I like walking best and that is most of my exercise, too. I know I should add some strength training. Can anyone suggest a decnt video series I can follow?

Yup, I do!

Just like you I've tried to love exercise... I just don't! I walk everywhere. I walk to work, school, daycare, the store... everywhere. It's just a part of my life and I can't NOT do it because I won't get my errands done. I have a car but everything is in walking distance so it seems silly to load everything/one up into the van when we can just walk.

I also weight train at home a bit but nothing hard core. I feel like it's important to keep my muscles intact but I'm not really interested in running a marathon :D.

It's worked for me this far. When I reach goal I may integrate some more things to tighten up... but for now I don't think it's held me back :). It obviously hasn't held you back either!

I have a girlfriend that has kept her weight off for the last 20 years by just walking... Keep up the great work !