Walking as a form of Cardio.

marc_s_johnson

How many of you do this as a part of your working out?

Reason I ask is because I am a Postman, today I wore my HRM while I did my round and was shocked at the results, in 3 hours and 8 mins it registered that I burned 1231 calories, now in theory that is great if that's true and I wear a strap so I am taking it as true but I'm not sure if I should be eating an extra 1231 calories back.

It don't feel like I've done 1231 calories worth of exercise, ok, a lot of the time was spent walking up and down stairs with a bag on my back but still, when I do kettlebells or Insanity I know I have busted my nuts, it didn't feel like that at work so I am unsure if walking really is useful as a cardio exercise and if they are calories I should be eating back or not.

I know this sounds like a really stupid question but the thought of eating an extra 1200 calories a day is something I really don't want to get wrong.

ghostrider1970

It looks like a really optimistic estimate to me

marc_s_johnson

It's not an estimate, I have a Polar heart rate monitor with a strap sensor, its the first time Ive used it at work to track my round.

Azdak

A heart rate monitor calorie estimates are not valid for lower-level occupational or recreational activities. I have seen different claims for the minimum intensity necessary--110 bpm or at least 40% of VO2 max, for example--but if you are under that than the numbers don't mean anything.

Now you are moving and you are generating more calories compared to a sedentary office job, but nowhere near the amount on the HRM.

HeavenLeighx

I would def say that is accurate. My primary way of burning calories is walking and it works for me. Especially with a good diet! As long as your eating good as well then I'd say that's pretty accurate. Don't realize how many calories you're burning just being on your feet!

wilsoje74

It's not an estimate, I have a Polar heart rate monitor with a strap sensor, its the first time Ive used it at work to track my round.

I don't think hr monitors are accurate in this situation. I would not eat an extra 1200 cals.

RoyBeck

So we're saying roughly 400 calories an hour? I'd say that wouldn't be miles off personally. You could always round down to say 1000.

Whether you want to eat some back or not is down to you but I wouldn't log it on MFP.

Lyadeia

I don't use an HRM for walking, I use my Fitbit. I register approximately 100 calories in 25 minutes of walking (about 1.25-1.5 miles on average).

I dislike a lot of cardio, so walking about 6 miles a day is about all I do anymore. I don't eat back exercise calories though, I use the TDEE-15% method which already factors in the exercise calories. It works great for me.

cwolfman13

I burn roughly 417 calories in an hour walking at roughly 4 MPH, so it's quite possible. Really though, you have what I'd call a pretty active job and that should be reflected in your activity level when you set your profile up. If you've included that activity already as part of your job and thus your activity level, you wouldn't eat those calories back...only "exercise" calories that are above and beyond your day to day hum drum. If you set yourself as sedentary you would eat those back...but really you should just change your activity level to reflect what you actually do.

crisbabe81

So we're saying roughly 400 calories an hour? I'd say that wouldn't be miles off personally. You could always round down to say 1000.

Whether you want to eat some back or not is down to you but I wouldn't log it on MFP.

^^^This... Make sure your activity level is active, and MFP should take that into account for your calories. IMO I would only log if you are exercising to exercise. If that makes sense.

svbeyer

You might want to try tracking distance instead of time, using an app like My Tracks on your smartphone, which tracks your mileage using your GPS. Then you can figure about a hundred calories a mile. I don't know how accurate this will be, but it is probably close enough. I often take long brisk walks, and it works for me. :-)

marc_s_johnson

A heart rate monitor calorie estimates are not valid for lower-level occupational or recreational activities. I have seen different claims for the minimum intensity necessary--110 bpm or at least 40% of VO2 max, for example--but if you are under that than the numbers don't mean anything.

Now you are moving and you are generating more calories compared to a sedentary office job, but nowhere near the amount on the HRM.

I was getting to 110-120bpms a fair bit, my round involves a lot of stairs, to put it into context, I wasn't just strolling around like you would do around the house,, I was walking briskly and climbing stairs for most of it with weight on my back, the heart was indeed pumping more than normal thats for sure but not Insanity style hard.

I'm gonna give it another go tomorrow but I have eaten 1000 extra roday out of the 1400 total burned for the day, the rest came from cycling which I have no doubts about.

DopeItUp

Maybe change your activity level to something more suitable to your job, IMO. Especially if that's what you do every day. Walking can burn a significant amount of calories, especially if you're doing it with extra weight. I'm curious, what was your average heart rate? I'm guessing the HRM probably isn't too far off especially if you had a good pace. Hours of walking will burn quite a bit, especially the faster you go.

Alternatively, maybe calculate the distance as well. It's reasonably accurate to calculate calories burned per mile of walking. Assuming a good sized male, good pace, plus the extra weight you're lugging around, 80-90, maybe even 100 calories per mile of walking. Just as as sanity check. If that matches up with your HRM then you're probably pretty close.

Finally, if you're still able to reach your goal weight loss eating back those 1200 calories, then do so. If not, adjust intake accordingly. Trial and error, pretty much what everyone does. Only way to find out is to try it.

marc_s_johnson

I burn roughly 417 calories in an hour walking at roughly 4 MPH, so it's quite possible. Really though, you have what I'd call a pretty active job and that should be reflected in your activity level when you set your profile up. If you've included that activity already as part of your job and thus your activity level, you wouldn't eat those calories back...only "exercise" calories that are above and beyond your day to day hum drum. If you set yourself as sedentary you would eat those back...but really you should just change your activity level to reflect what you actually do.

Yeah, normaly I set it to activate which is the serring for mailman but I have been on anual leave so left it on lightly active and used the strap/monitor out of curiosity.

I will give it another go tomorrow and maybe not eat back the calories then maybe change the setting and stop logging it.

marc_s_johnson

Maybe change your activity level to something more suitable to your job, IMO. Especially if that's what you do every day. Walking can burn a significant amount of calories, especially if you're doing it with extra weight. I'm curious, what was your average heart rate? I'm guessing the HRM probably isn't too far off especially if you had a good pace. Hours of walking will burn quite a bit, especially the faster you go.

Alternatively, maybe calculate the distance as well. It's reasonably accurate to calculate calories burned per mile of walking. Assuming a good sized male, good pace, plus the extra weight you're lugging around, 80-90, maybe even 100 calories per mile of walking. Just as as sanity check. If that matches up with your HRM then you're probably pretty close.

Finally, if you're still able to reach your goal weight loss eating back those 1200 calories, then do so. If not, adjust intake accordingly. Trial and error, pretty much what everyone does. Only way to find out is to try it.

I will let you know the average heart rate tomorrow as it reset due to me using it again to cycle home, Im gonna test it again tomorrow.

Im pretty sure it was between 110 and 125 and it was definitely 60% on the fat burn figure for the whole 3 hours, this surprised me because Insanity is usually around 45% for me.

Skrib69

So we're saying roughly 400 calories an hour? I'd say that wouldn't be miles off personally. You could always round down to say 1000.

Whether you want to eat some back or not is down to you but I wouldn't log it on MFP.

^^^This... Make sure your activity level is active, and MFP should take that into account for your calories. IMO I would only log if you are exercising to exercise. If that makes sense.

I agree. If you have your Activity level set to Active, you would be double counting; if you are set up as sedentary, then you should count it?

born2drum

I do. Fast brisk pace, though. 30 min twice a week. Usually on rest days.

marc_s_johnson

I was set to lightly active which is not double cointing as that is for someone who stands a lot, I made sure of that as double counting is not good to anyone.

Skrib69

So we're saying roughly 400 calories an hour? I'd say that wouldn't be miles off personally. You could always round down to say 1000.

Whether you want to eat some back or not is down to you but I wouldn't log it on MFP.

^^^This... Make sure your activity level is active, and MFP should take that into account for your calories. IMO I would only log if you are exercising to exercise. If that makes sense.

I agree. If you have your Activity level set to Active, you would be double counting; if you are set up as sedentary, then you should count it?

wsuduce

I would use it just as an estimate. The more you do an activity the more your body adapts, become more efficient and will use less actual energy. But it is a good start.

SuffolkSally

I count walking as exercise, and use a HRM to estimate calorie burn at over 60% voc. Walking is my principal exercise and as long as I keep within my calorie limits I lose weight just fine. (BTW, my calorie burn on walking is about 240 per hour, and I don't usually eat all of those calories back, just the majority).

marc_s_johnson

Ok, so tested my round again today and made a note of all the information.

I used my HRM with the strap and also used the runkeeper app.

It took 3 hours and 8 mins

Average HR was 98 with the low being 54 and high 123

I was in the zone for 46 secs, above 0 and below 3.07

My HRM said I burned 878 calories and 60% fat.


The runkeeper app said that the distance was 4.01 miles

Avg min/ml 47.06

Calories burned 512.

Now im ignoring the calories burned because its estomating it by the distance travelled and speed, it has no idea of my physical condition so to me thats pure guesswork while the HRM is sensing my heartbeat.

I can only think that there is a massive difference between yesterday and today because yesterday is was baking hot, it was my first day back at work after 6 weeks and maybe my heart rate was going mental due to being shocked, today felt like normal and the calorie count looks a bit more realistic.

What do you think based on those results?

Should I be eating back those calories or just switch my activity level to very active and not bother logging my round?

Todays result with my HRM looks a lot more believeable and I laid attention to my HR going up and down due to how I was walking ie stairs or paths.

What do you think?

DavPul

It's not an estimate, I have a Polar heart rate monitor with a strap sensor, its the first time Ive used it at work to track my round.

in other words, it's an estimate.

don't track or eat back your daily work activity calories. set your activity level for active or very active, track only exercise specific calories (outside of your work routine) and go from there.

DavPul

your ticker is throwing me off. are you trying to gain weight? if so, i may change my answer

marc_s_johnson

No mate, Ive lost enough which is why im being careful with how much I eat, Im trying to maintain and lose that last bit of lose skin/ fat under my belly button.

sueclare38

I do my daughters paper round once a week which takes 90 minutes, each time I come home to refill the bag I am starting out with about 50 papers which is really heavy. I wear by hrm, and I walk pretty fast and a lot of it is uphill, my heart rate varies between 117 and 135 and I usually burn around 600 calories, I'm 5'3 and 140lbs and 38, so 400 calories an hour is easily achievable.

neandermagnon

I worked as a postman for a while, and I worked out I must have walked about 10 miles a day. There were two posts a day and the round I had was a long one, I had to walk very fast to get it all done in time, first and second post, and that was carrying a 16kg bag on my back (well it got lighter as I went round, but it was that heavy when I left the office as the health and safety guy was a stickler for not letting anyone leave the office with overweight bags and we got additional mail dropped off halfway round)

If it was me, I wouldn't log postal work as exercise, but I would make sure my calories were calculated with a sufficiently high activity factor to begin with, it would be moderately to very active, depending on how far you actually have to walk. I spent 3-4 hrs walking each day, at a very fast pace, carrying a bag.... that will have a high calorie burn.

My0WNinspiration

It's not an estimate, I have a Polar heart rate monitor with a strap sensor, its the first time Ive used it at work to track my round.

I don't think hr monitors are accurate in this situation. I would not eat an extra 1200 cals.

I agree

taiyola

On a brisk hour long walk I'd burn about 350. On a slow walk I'd burn about 250.

With my HRM, I personally deduct 1 calorie per minute so 400 - 60 = 340 calories an hour etc. I would eat back half of them to start with.

marc_s_johnson

I worked as a postman for a while, and I worked out I must have walked about 10 miles a day. There were two posts a day and the round I had was a long one, I had to walk very fast to get it all done in time, first and second post, and that was carrying a 16kg bag on my back (well it got lighter as I went round, but it was that heavy when I left the office as the health and safety guy was a stickler for not letting anyone leave the office with overweight bags and we got additional mail dropped off halfway round)

If it was me, I wouldn't log postal work as exercise, but I would make sure my calories were calculated with a sufficiently high activity factor to begin with, it would be moderately to very active, depending on how far you actually have to walk. I spent 3-4 hrs walking each day, at a very fast pace, carrying a bag.... that will have a high calorie burn.

Pretty much identical situation, carry between 74 and 85 kilos a day on my back split into various bags going up flights of stairs at a brisk pace.

Todays results were realistic to me, Im putting yesterday down as a freak day as it was my first day back in 6 weeks but 800 calories over 3 hours travelling 4 miles sounds realistic to me, doing Insanity for 45 mins at full pelt would be 500 calories (on average) so it feels right, just unsure about eating them back.

I really dont want to lose anymore weight so dont want to under eat but I dont want to start putting it back on so need to get this right

marc_s_johnson

On a brisk hour long walk I'd burn about 350. On a slow walk I'd burn about 250.

With my HRM, I personally deduct 1 calorie per minute so 400 - 60 = 340 calories an hour etc. I would eat back half of them to start with.

Maybe thats the way forward for me, to eat half back.