If you're a walker, you've likely been there, hearing questions such as: "But why don't you run?" or "Don't you get bored?" Queries like these are misinformed, says personal trainer Franklin Antoian. "Walking is a great workout," says Antoian. "Anyone can do it anywhere, it doesn't cost anything, it gets you outside—often with friends—and it can be a lot of fun."
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Alice Williams, 24, a power-walker agrees, adding that it can be a big bummer to hear friends and acquaintances scoff at her choice of cardio. "It bothers me when people assume that it's not a good workout—or that I'd be so much better off if I were to choose a different exercise," she says.
With that in mind, here, five things you should never say to a walker.
"Walking isn't a real workout because you don't break a good sweat."
Williams says that no matter how much research she brings up on the benefits of walking, people still think they need to be running in order for it to count as exercise. But the scientific evidence is on the side of walkers: One study found that kJ-for-kJ burned, walking offers the same benefits as running when it comes to lower risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and even cardiovascular disease.
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What's more, sweating is a terrible gauge of how hard you're working, says Antoian. "It takes me a good 40 minutes to work up a sweat, whereas I have clients who start sweating within 5 minutes," he says. "The notion that if you're not sweating, you're not really working out is a total myth. What you really want to clue into is your heart rate—and if that's elevated, you're officially doing a cardio workout."
"There are faster ways to get a good workout."
Yes, you may need to walk longer—or faster—to burn the same number as you would running in the same amount of time. Yet that doesn't mean walking should be discounted as a good workout, says Antoian—especially because there are plenty of ways to power up your next walk to burn more kilojoules. "You can add some high-intensity interval training by picking up your pace for a minute or so—or by choosing landmarks," he says. For example, you might pick up your usual 5 mph speed to a 6.5 mph pace for 30 seconds every 2 minutes, or speed up for the distance between every other telephone pole when you pass 10 of them, he says. Bonus: "This is easy to do, will increase your burn in a shorter amount of time, and will keep your walking workouts exciting," says Antoian.
"Don't you get bored?"
Williams says one of her best friends is constantly asking her this question, which she can't quite understand. "I listen to podcasts on my walks and even download vlogs to watch while I'm walking," she says. "There are so many ways to stay entertained and to keep a walking workout exciting." Antoian agrees, noting that high-intensity bursts are definitely one way to keep boredom at bay. Even if excitement is an issue, that's true of any workout, he says.
"Why don't you just run?"
There are a number of reasons why walkers might not like to run. For starters, it can be stressful. "For some people, running amps them up, whereas walking helps them unwind while still getting a great workout," says Antoian. What's more, he says a lot of walkers avoid running because it can be really painful if you have past injuries or chronic discomfort in your knees, ankles, neck, or low back.
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"If you have an injury, if you're prone to injury, or if you're recovering from one, every step you take when you run is a potential risk for re-injury—whereas walking has very little risk of injury," he says. With this in mind, a question like this can feel too personal. "Maybe a walker doesn't want to talk about his or her injury," says Antoian. "It's really nobody's business why someone chooses to walk rather than run." And of course, some people might just prefer to walk, plain and simple.
"But walking is for old people."
Antoian says this is a common sentiment among his younger clients, who think they'll get better results if they choose higher-impact cardio exercises. "The bottom line is that walking works for everyone," he says. "It comes down to what you prefer, and whether or not the higher-impact exercises feel OK on your body and are safe for you to do."
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