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Old 07-07-11, 01:19 AM  
daisysunshine
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: on my yoga mat
What's the Difference Between a "Walk" and "Cardio"

This might sound weird. But I'm trying to figure out what the difference is between plain old walking (outside) vs say doing a Leslie Walk vs. doing something like Firm Express or Cardio Pump Fusion or something.

I'm trying to "reduce" cardio, but I do want to take a walk in the afternoon or something. and I was like - I hate walking outside, but doing regular part isn't a problem and I can do like 30 minutes really low impact or something. But I know "walking" is really good.

So like what's the difference?
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Old 07-07-11, 03:57 AM  
Terry
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Texas
Cardio is about working your heart muscle; i.e. getting your heart beat to go faster. Breathing and body temp go up as well.

Walking is cardio. If you stroll slowly and stop to look at flowers along the way, you'll get your heart rate up above what it is while playing like a couch potato, but if you walk very quickly intentionally you can get your heart rate (along with breathing rate and sweating) up just as well or better than you can with Leslie.

Shoot for a 15-minute mile and you'll be doing yourself a great job cardio-wise. There are people who can walk faster than normal fast/brisk walking. I think I read that the slowest race walking is a 12-minute mile. I tried that once; couldn't do it. I made it to a 13-minute mile and it was very hard mentally. To do a mile faster than 13 or so minutes, most people have to run.
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Old 07-07-11, 04:27 AM  
topfitmama
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Germany
Daisy, may I ask, why don't you like walking outdoors? It has always done wonders for me. I have walked outdoors in the city and now I walk on a path between fields. Even living in the city, where the air was obviously polluted, I would always get home feeling so much better! I would usually try to walk through parks as much as possible, just because I hate cars and hectic.
As Terri said (and you probably know already) cardio is about working your heart. You can walk at a comfortable pace, then kick it up a notch by walking a bit faster, then bring it back down to the comfortable pace (intervals), or you can go for steady state and walk at a pace that you can keep up.
Anyway, whatever you choose to do, walking is great! My weight goes up when it rains a lot and I don't walk as much
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Old 07-07-11, 04:50 AM  
imhere2dance
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Virginia
Quote:
Originally Posted by topfitmama View Post
My weight goes up when it rains a lot and I don't walk as much
That's why I love my DVDs. The "weather" is always perfect in front of the TV.

I don't like walking outside because we rarely have comfortable weather. It's usually either very humid or very cold. Bugs, wind, other people, uneven ground, dogs, cars... Yuck!
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Old 07-07-11, 05:42 AM  
PeakFitness
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Southern USA
There's no difference, Firm Express and walking are both cardio, except Firm Express would probably get the heart rate up faster, so you'd burn more calories with FE. But they're both cardio. The only difference between walking outdoors and Leslie, is that Leslie claims to do 12 minute miles, but she's totally inaccurate because it takes me 20 minutes to walk a mile (I'm 5 feet tall, short legs, no way I can walk a mile in 12 minutes). Leslie is really going at a much slower pace than when I walk outdoors - i can tell because I feel less exersion.
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Old 07-07-11, 05:48 AM  
DRD0
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: illinois
Quote:
Originally Posted by topfitmama View Post
Daisy, may I ask, why don't you like walking outdoors? It has always done wonders for me. I have walked outdoors in the city and now I walk on a path between fields. Even living in the city, where the air was obviously polluted, I would always get home feeling so much better! I would usually try to walk through parks as much as possible, just because I hate cars and hectic.
As Terri said (and you probably know already) cardio is about working your heart. You can walk at a comfortable pace, then kick it up a notch by walking a bit faster, then bring it back down to the comfortable pace (intervals), or you can go for steady state and walk at a pace that you can keep up.
Anyway, whatever you choose to do, walking is great! My weight goes up when it rains a lot and I don't walk as much
I was wondering the same thing. I love the summer because I can walk outdoors. We have a trail that goes through a beautiful county park with hills(at least hills for Illinois), and it is wonderful and makes me feel better. I also can get my heart rate up doing a nice little clip. It is a nice change from working out inside.
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Old 07-07-11, 05:54 AM  
topfitmama
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Germany
Quote:
Originally Posted by imhere2dance View Post
That's why I love my DVDs. The "weather" is always perfect in front of the TV.

I don't like walking outside because we rarely have comfortable weather. It's usually either very humid or very cold. Bugs, wind, other people, uneven ground, dogs, cars... Yuck!
Yes, true. I just find it harder to get enough cardio because I'm so used to walking outdoors. I walk in heat, cold, snow, just not pouring rain!
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Old 07-07-11, 06:59 AM  
Jane P.
VF Supporter
 
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Colorado Springs
I don't walk outside. I live semi in the country and the narrow lane that leads to my house has almost no shoulder to walk on. The area has become more popular, so traffic is now fairly heavy and it's downright dangerous to walk along the side of the road.

I agree that Leslie's 12 minute miles don't seem to be as hard as walking a measured mile.
She goes by the bpm, but I wonder if that's accurate.
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Old 07-07-11, 08:46 AM  
2ndgen
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Walking IS a cardiovascular exercise, period. Your heart rate is going to be higher if you take a stroll than if you are lying on the couch and you are conditioning your body, raising your metabolism and doing good for yourself. If you walk faster, your heart rate raises more and you burn more calories.

Walking is also a muscular exercise and is great for the abs/core, etc.

You don't have to walk outdoors. I love to but I also love the track or treadmill at the gym, Leslie, or just walking 53 round trips from my kitchen, through living room, down the hall and back (that is a mile, I measured it).

Walking is the same as running or jogging, just slower and at a different gait (e.g., both feet don't leave the ground at the same time in walking, in running and jogging there is always a time when both feet are, however briefly, off the ground). Running and jogging aren't for everyone.

I like to jog/walk. Since an injury awhile back I have not been able to "run" exactly, but love to jog/walk. Others like to walk/walk/walk at various paces.

Racewalking is interesting also. True racewalkers reach speeds that exceed running and are very fit. There are specific rules for this and events (it is not the same thing as speedwalking or athletic walking). If you have a club in your area, might be worth checking out, you need instruction in racewalking.

Walk on, sounds great that you want to do that. Walk anywhere and everywhere. There is also the mall. Lots of people here use the mall daily early in the morning just for walking.

Just get a pedometer if that is fun for you and try to walk 10,000 steps daily to start, it all counts. Shopping, whatever.

Or don't get a ped, just have fun. Walking is great exercise and never let anyone tell you differently.

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Old 07-07-11, 11:57 AM  
videofit
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
I love walking outside. I get to see my neighbors' gardens grow and meet all the dogs. I walk to do my local errands, i.e. pick up forgotten items at the supermarket, go to the drugstore, post office, bank, shoemaker, window shop. I suggest everyone use their odometer to measure how far some places are. Most of my weekend errands are within a two-mile radius.
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