Steps vs Exercise

ShaneS86
ShaneS86 Posts: 6 Member
in Getting Started
Hey, new guy here!

If I take a "brisk walk" around a jobsite as indicated by MFP, (.5m in 10.5min) should I count that as exercise, or does step counting cover it?

I dont wanna cheat myself into extra calories, but my heart rate does go from 95 to 135, so it MAY count as extra?

I just dont know!

Replies

  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
    Are you using a tracker synced with mfp or are you tracking manually?

  • ShaneS86
    ShaneS86 Posts: 6 Member
    I see, thanks for the advice. I'll keep it in mind, and focus on keeping my intake low.
  • ShaneS86
    ShaneS86 Posts: 6 Member
    mbaker566 wrote: »
    Are you using a tracker synced with mfp or are you tracking manually?
    I am using Samsung Health to track steps and inputting the exercise into MFP.

    I've got a FitBit arriving today if that makes a difference.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 31,953 Member
    The basic activity levels in MFP already cover a certain number of steps. They're kind of nonspecific about how many, but this is a common way of looking at it:

    Sedentary adults: <5,000 steps.
    Low Activity: 5,000-7,499 steps.
    Somewhat active: 7,500-9,999 steps.
    Active: >10,000 steps.
    Highly Active: >12,500 steps.

    When logging exercise manually (as opposed to when synching a Fitbit or other tracker), you wouldn't count steps as exercise unless they were significantly over your routine level along the lines of those guidelines above. (It doesn't matter how hard you breathe during those steps, or how fast you take them, because walking calories are about the same for an individual regardless of those factors.)

    When synching a tracker (like a Fitbit), you just let MFP and the tracker calculate things out. You still wouldn't normally add steps (or in the tracker case, any exercise at all) manually to your MFP log.

    All of that said, the more you walk (without getting overtired), the better. :)

    Best wishes!
  • QoLmatters
    QoLmatters Posts: 708 Member
    ShaneS86 wrote: »
    mbaker566 wrote: »
    Are you using a tracker synced with mfp or are you tracking manually?
    I am using Samsung Health to track steps and inputting the exercise into MFP.

    I've got a FitBit arriving today if that makes a difference.

    If you are using any tracker that links to MFP you will be double counting your exercise if you manually input into MFP as well. I suggest if you want to count it as a walk instead of steps tell your tracker you are taking a walk (if it lets you - my Garmin does) so it adjusts the totals it gives MFP.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 9,959 Member
    TheMrWobbly wrote: »
    Exercise should leave you short of breath, if your walk makes you feel like this, you perspire on a non-sunny day, you are exercising. Your pace is irrelevant as it all depends on the individual. What you shouldn't do is believe the MFP 'calories burned' calc as, imho, MFP is extremely generous.

    Sometimes being short of breath just means you're out of shape. And the amount of calories you are burning is much more dependent on your pace (and weight) than it is on whether it makes you perspire or not.
  • Danp
    Danp Posts: 1,561 Member
    TheMrWobbly wrote: »
    Exercise should leave you short of breath, if your walk makes you feel like this, you perspire on a non-sunny day, you are exercising. Your pace is irrelevant as it all depends on the individual. What you shouldn't do is believe the MFP 'calories burned' calc as, imho, MFP is extremely generous.

    Being out of breath just means that you're stressing your cardiovascular system which if you're trying to improve your fitness is exactly what you should be doing. But it's not necessarily an indication that you're burning more calories.

    By this I mean that (assuming the same stats) "Unfit Person A" walking at a moderate pace may be huffing and puffing, totally out of breath and burning about 400cal per hour, while "Fit Person B" walking beside them may not even feel a thing while also burning about 400cal per hour.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 13,538 Member
    Looks like everyone has chimed in with fairly good advice.

    If your tracker is automatically connected with MFP my advice is to NOT log any exercise separately; but to eat as per the suggestions of MFP as connected to the tracker.

    Then, after about 3-4 weeks as you are a guy (4-6 weeks if you are a gal with monthly hormonal variation) you can compare your rate of weight change per your weight TREND application (*such* as libra for android, trendweight or weightgrapher for web based, happy scale for iphone), and your expected change as per your logging. And then adjust your goals to accommodate any significant difference.

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