What Exercise Is Equal to Walking 2 Hours Per Day?

Walking two hours a day is a significant time commitment in a busy life. If you need to up the ante on your exercising, but simply don't have a spare minute to add to your walking routine, there are other equally effective aerobic exercises. Selecting the right aerobic exercise allows you to increase the intensity of your workout without sacrificing what's left of your free time.

  1. Your Walking Routine

    • Walking at a brisk 3.5 miles per hour burns between 314 and 469 calories per hour, depending on your weight, for a total of 628 to 938 calories burned in your daily two-hour routine. If you'd like to reduce the amount of time spent exercising while reaping the benefits of an equivalent number of calories burned, you'll have to choose a more intense exercise program.

    Golf

    • While you probably won't play golf every day, by carrying your own bag you'll burn the same number of calories per hour as you did while walking at a brisk pace. Golf has the added benefit of working your entire body as you swing the club and carry your bag from one hole to the next. Substituting two hours of golf for your two-hour walking workout adds a competitive and social aspect to your daily exercise routine.

    Low-Impact Aerobics

    • Low-impact aerobics is easy on your knees and ankles, while providing a similar benefit as walking. While the calories burned are 730 to 1,090 for a two-hour workout, you can work out at a community college, fitness center or in the comfort of your own home without braving summer's heat or winter's cold. By the end of the week, you'll burn an extra 714 calories, allowing you to skip a workout once or twice a month without feeling guilty.

    Weight Training

    • Substituting hour for hour of weight training for walking allows you to improve your routine while still burning between 365 and 454 calories per hour. Weight training has the additional benefit of building and toning muscles, especially your upper body. Since muscles are more metabolically active than fat, the more you build up your muscles, the more calories you burn, even when you're sitting down or resting. While walking's aerobic benefits are important, keeping your overall muscle tone up also improves your physique and keeps your clothes fitting nicely.

    One-Hour Workout

    • If time is an issue, selecting one or more high-intensity activities such as using a stair treadmill, practicing tae kwon do, jumping rope or running at 8 mph allows you to reduce the time spent working out while maintaining the number of calories burned daily. These activities range from 657 up to 1,286 calories used in one hour, depending on your weight. By varying your routine, you can continue your two-hour walk on days when the time is available, and substitute a more intense workout on days when time is limited.