Gardening calories

suzan06

MFP suggests 311 calories for an hour of gardening. I can see that for really hard work- but for your average weeding, harvesting, and planting, that seems way off.

I don't have a heart rate monitor to try to track it myself. But I figured others here might have insight.

I do garden work for little old ladies in the spring and fall- this morning I did 2.5 hours. So my numbers being off might have a pretty big effect. Its a lot of weeding, nothing super strenuous, but definitely more activity than sitting at home, so i want *some* credit for it, lol.

Anyone?

malibu927

I wouldn't log it personally. Only physical, purposeful exercise. Things like gardening are accounted for in your activity level.

AsISmile

I agree, gardening might burn calories, but is daily activity.
Just like cleaning.. Walking to the bus stop, etc.

cortesd

For me, I count it as exercise since I don't do it every day and when I do garden, I'm hauling bags of dirt, wrangling hoses, clearing brush, digging planting holes, and schlepping plants from one end of the yard to the other. And occasionally I do a quick sprint when I disturb our resident black snake and we scare each other senseless. I usually break a sweat and can certainly "feel" my muscles by the end of the session.

In MFP, I log about 100 cals/hour (I'm 5'5', 141 lb, 48 y.o. female). Now if I'm just leisurely strolling through the posey patch and occasionally stoop down to pluck a weed, then I don't log it.

suzan06

Well, some weeks in the fall and spring I am logging 3 hours a day or more of gardening, every day of the week. I consider that above and beyond my normal activity level even if it is just weeding and planting. I can see not logging an hour here or there in your own yard.

Google give 200-400 calories an hour for weeding.

tincanonastring

I don't log my general yardwork like stick clean-up, mowing, weeding, etc. If I'm building beds, clearning brush, etc, I might log a little something, but truth be told, I'd probably just count it as a bonus burn.

My only exception is raking leaves. I start at the back of my property and rake the whole yard out to the curb. It takes about 3 hours of continuous raking and I know my heart rate is elevated at a steady level for the entire time.