Walking can be cardio exercise if it provides moderate to vigorous exercise that gives your heart, lungs and blood vessels a workout, making them stronger as a result of your efforts. The Activity Guidelines report that people who engage in cardio exercise, such as brisk walking, have lower rates of heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure than those who don't exercise in this way. Those who exercise beyond the minimum gain additional benefits, such as a lower risk of colon and breast cancer. Walking at a very fast pace gives you the additional benefits.
Walking That Is Not Cardio Exercise
Walking through the grocery store pushing your cart or going shopping at the mall do not meet the standards for moderate or vigorous exercise and do not provide enough cardio exercise to reduce your risk of serious disease. The Activity Guidelines call these baseline activities. While these activities have benefits, the extent of these has not been studied scientifically, according to the 2008 Activity Guidelines.
Brisk Walking
According to the MayoClinic.com, simple walking becomes brisk walking when you begin to breathe faster, develop a light sweat and feel some strain in your leg muscles. The website adds that you should be able to talk during moderate exercise like brisk walking, but that if you can sing, you need to pick up the pace and walk even more briskly. You can also use your own heart rate to monitor intensity by calculating your upper and lower heart rates and using a heart-rate monitor or taking your pulse.
Exercise Intensity
Brisk walking meets government standards for moderate physical exercise. The Activity Guideline's scale of exercise intensity ranges from 0, a activity level comparable to resting in a chair, to 10 at the most intense, with moderate measuring a 5 or 6. Vigorous exercise would fall at a 7 or 8 on the scale. Both moderate and vigorous exercise fall into the "Health-enhancing" category.
