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Comment by Tomte | Hacker News Reader

I'm living two minutes away from a green belt in my town. It's a round course with partly paved paths, pretty much exactly 5km long, used by runners and walkers.

Since I've been working from home I've made it a point to head out mid-workday and go for a walk. One hour. Surrounded by trees. It's fantastic.

Whenever I'm getting annoyed or cranky, it's time to go. Most of our development tools are shit. I get lots of opportunities…

When I started doing that I could reliably measure my blood pressure going down by 10 to 15 mmHg. Lasting the rest of the day.

Now I've lost quite a bit of weight (mostly by eating less, not much by walking, I think), and I cannot see such a reliable drop in blood pressure anymore (it's now regularly lower). I still feel better whenever I've been out.

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Don't discount that walk in losing weight. I hear a lot about weight loss being mostly diet, and you can't outrun a cheeseburger, etc. But in reality, if you are around borderline eating 2000 calories per day, and if that walk burns an additional 300 calories, well 12 walks will cause a pound of weight loss. Plus, if you have free time to take a walk, that means you aren't using that time to snack either.

Exercise has two additional weight loss benefits over just burning extra calories. Sustained activity cranks up your metabolism for a period afterwards, and additional muscle mass means you’re less likely to have extra calories go immediately to fat.

I’ve always read this but what is the magnitude of the effect size? Does it have other side effects like making you hungrier?

Yes, but it is tied to the strenuousness of the exertion. HIIT or heavy weightlifting will boost your hunger quite a bit, but an hour long walk should have negligible effect.

But walking is a cardio, it won't increase muscle mass, right?

walking and movement beyond what you’re used to will build muscle throughout your body, mainly lower half, to compensate for the increased activity.

Not if you're already in good shape.

For most people, walking multiple times a week where they weren't absolutely will.

I used to have that rule solidly followed but life got in the way. I still walk but not at the best times (social pressure).

Have you had endorphin kick yet ?

Not in the sense like people describe runner's high, no.

It's relaxing for me, not exciting.

hmm I wasn't thinking of excitement, but more like joyful contemplation all of a sudden

I've not been enjoying the back to the office aspect of things... but it always feels better after a wonderful ride through Midtown rush hour traffic. Just being out there moving the body is always wonderful.

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