I've been thinking about this one for a while now, but just saw this:
So You Want to Start Fitness Walking?
Now it's "fitness walking"? Whatever happened to "power walking"? Ah well, no matter. The question for this post: is walking really a fitness activity?
To answer this question, we need to first agree on what "fitness" means. Aye, there's the rub. Because it means different things to different people, and that's OK. Some people don't feel "fit" unless they're competing in an Iron Man triathlon, deadlifting twice their bodyweight, fighting five rounds of mixed martial arts, or whatever.
If you've read anything of The Founding Fathers (in the U.S. of course), you know that the primary forms of exercise back then were walking and riding. Yet John Adams lived to be 90 and TJ (Thomas Jefferson) into his 80s. (Both died on the 4th of July, 1826--kind of creepy.) George Washington didn't make it to 70, but it didn't help that the doctors drained about half of his blood in a few hours when he was very ill. But before that, he was quite the manly man.
So those guys didn't need to lift weights, run hill sprints, swing kettlebells, or hold yoga poses to be fit enough to live long and productive lives. Do you?
Maybe.
They also didn't spend several hours a day sitting around watching TV or working at a computer. Their diets were much different and they probably got a lot more sleep, what with the lack of electric lights and all. And they had different physical needs: Washington was a soldier, TJ a dandy, and Adams a portly orator and writer. (Yes, these are rather pithy descriptions, but you get the idea.)
None of them (nor their wives) cared about having six-pack abs or looking "toned." They weren't going to enter a Tough Mudder competition or work for a double-bodyweight deadlift. But most likely, neither are you. Most people, I would guess, most often have fitness goals about appearance and longevity. (Mostly appearance...vain humans!) If you're not "most people" that doesn't matter, does it?
Yes, strength training is valuable for lots of reasons. Having a solid aerobic base and cardiovascular health is also great. You can use exercise to get stronger and faster, change your appearance (lose fat and gain muscle), and improve your cardiovascular fitness.
I like being able to lift heavy stuff. It comes in handy, and not just for carrying old tube TVs or carrying the "portable" (because it has wheels) air conditioner down from the attic. But do I need to have a double body-weight deadlift? Not usually, but it doesn't hurt!
I like being fit enough to spend an hour briskly pushing a 20-year-old lawn mower over rough terrain and hills. (It's cheaper than a riding mower.) And sprinting sometimes is just fun, even when it's not to catch the AirTrain at JFK.
So for me, walking doesn't seem like exercise. Not even "fitness walking". It's just a way to get around, or to loosen up after a tough day.
But for other people, it's their main workout. (Especially people who are significantly overweight--carrying those extra pounds is indeed a workout.) And for others it's something in between.
Back to the original question: is walking a fitness activity? Took a lot of rambling to get here but ... sure, it can be. It's definitely "activity." Whether you do it to keep fit, burn calories, get to the store, or just for the joy of it...walk on.
Be seeing you.
-gary