Walking the dog

Lleldiranne

I personally don't log "slow" walks, cleaning or things like that. However, people are at different levels. I always say something is better than nothing.

I don't have a dog, can I log walking my pet rock?! Wish I had a cute doggy, but I'm never home.

Well, depending on how big your pet rock is, and how fast you walk it, that could be a pretty intense workout! :laugh:

bcattoes

I have to rant!!! Walking the dog for 10 min. and "burning" 30 calories is NOT exercise!!!! I am so sick of seeing that and then the person "eats" their "workout" calories back. Then she wonders why she is not losing! Probably because you are eating above your macro goals.

Eating doesn't make you gain but eating above calories "burned" does!!! DUH

OK-I'm done. :drinker:

So ... this person burns 30 calories, then eats 30 calories and this causes weight gain? :huh:

kiekokay

Ha! I wanted to quote one, but I just love all these responses!

In summary though; walking is better than nothing, and walking with a crazy large dog is definitely exercise!! Anyone who says otherwise can take mine out for a stroll :bigsmile:

Duck_Puddle

Then you must really dislike me. I wear a bodymedia armband that tracks my activity level & calories burned all day long. Including walking the dog for 10 minutes or less and such mundane tasks as doing laundry & washing dishes. It's ridiculous to think that any kind of activity really does burn more calories than sitting on the couch. I suppose I really need to reconsider this-I'll never lose weight if I keep going like this.

PS-walking my 100 lb demon spawn puppy is actually a pretty decent full body workout. She's just freaking nuts.

Hey, if this is about you, my hat is off to you, 79lbs lost is nothing to laugh at. CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

BTW, I'm walking two of my dogs for them this afternoon but I'll be wearing my HRM and logging it too!

Ha. No, it's not about me (I don't think. I'm not friends with OP and I only log my time for "workouts"-all my exercise calories come from the armband-regardless of how they were "earned").

And we have 2 dogs as well. The demon spawn yellow lab/satan mix puppy and a nearly 10 year old husky mix. Only my husband can walk both of them together. The husky is good, the lab? Well, maybe someday.

Glndgd63

I am paritally disabled. Walking 10 minutes for me is equivalent to some of you running a marathon. Just because that is the limit of what my body can handle at that moment, doesn't mean it isn't exercise for my body. I am starting with the 10, 20, 30 minutes walking and hopefully over time I can build up to more. But I am proud of my 10, 20, 30 minute walks now, because a month ago, I wasn't even doing that much !

hannamarie88

Guess you don't have a dog or have never walked a dog...? My dog pulls and we walk pretty fast. He's a puppy and rather wild.

And. You are just mean. I wear my HRM when I walk my dog and it is definitely exercise because I am doing physical activity. If she's using MFP to track and has it set to sedentary and the very high deficit then it does count. It makes her feel better to be moving and this is her journey, not yours.

Quit being such a Judgy McJudgerson.

professorRAT

I thought this was going to be about yo-yo tricks. :grumble:

Pixi_Rex

I have a rant!!
I hate judgey people who figure everyone has the same activity level as them. Maybe 10 minutes of walking the dog is exercise. If they do it 3 times a day thats 30 minutes, just split up.

Also my BMF says walking for 10 minutes is exercise... so PFFFTTT...

:flowerforyou:

peeaanuut

The "your level of exercise isnt up to my level so you arent doing any exercise" rants are always my favorite to read because OP always gets tossed like a rag doll by the rest of the forum.

brendaj39

<<<<dog walker for a living...I do 6 30 minute dog walks a day and that adds up to well over 10K steps per day....you bet your sweet @ss I'm logging that *kitten* ::flounce::

I'd quit worrying about other people and keep my eyes on my own paper if I were you :blushing:

I love your posts...you say such wise things... and what a cool job, :flowerforyou:

BeachIron

The "your level of exercise isnt up to my level so you arent doing any exercise" rants are always my favorite to read because OP always gets tossed like a rag doll by the rest of the forum.

They're even better when these turn into "mean people" threads and the OP accuses everyone of being mean in response to the mean spirited OP, and everyone points out the obvious, and then there is white knighting and kitten gifs . . . MFP is nothing if not predictable.

Myhaloslipped

I live in Detroit, so it's smart to take some kind of weapon when you exercise here, even though I live in one of the nice neighborhoods. Lately I have been walking (running) my neighbor's Rottweiler for him. What a workout! Also, walking this dog definitely solves the safety/protection issue. No one will come within 20 feet of me, lol.

sfdf40

10 minutes is 10 minutes. You do what you can.

PaulHalicki

I have to rant!!! Walking the dog for 10 min. and "burning" 30 calories is NOT exercise!!!! I am so sick of seeing that and then the person "eats" their "workout" calories back. Then she wonders why she is not losing! Probably because you are eating above your macro goals.

Eating doesn't make you gain but eating above calories "burned" does!!! DUH

OK-I'm done. :drinker:

I'm inclined to agree with you. I enter walking the dog into MFP, but I don't think it really gives me benefit worth claiming. Also, I ride bicycles with my wife, but compared to my normal pace, she's rather slow, so same thing; I don't think it benefits me at all. I'm thinking I just won't enter them anymore and only enter bike rides by myself or with faster groups, or walking by myself (minus the dog) when I keep a quicker pace.

I don't hate people who are logging everything though. It's in the database so people enter it. I think the calorie credit for that kind of exercise is greatly overstated though.

AlsDonkBoxSquat

Research shows that people who have a good relationship with their dogs tend to have a better relationship with everyone in their lives and tend to have lower body fat overall than those who have no dogs in their life.

Based upon this I suggest the OP 1 - get a dog, or if they already have a dog 2 - improve their relationship with their dog.

Maybe if you focus more on you and less on others?

If the person is struggling to lose weight it's not because of 30 - 50 calories for a dog walk, it's a lot of other reasons (under estimating food consumption tends to be a big one). Maybe you could be a positive influence and suggest other areas that the person can improve . . .

SwitzEngine

When I walk with my 70kg St Bernhard I go for 45-90 min. I burn like 300-400 calories and I log them. Everybody should log what he wants.

slim4health56

I have actually seen someone log calories burned for smoking a cigarette. So, all things being equal, logging a few calories burned for taking a walk with one's dog(s) seems harmless. Too, maybe they've just started their journey and are working up to longer walks. Frankly, I wouldn't know how to log walking my two dogs...there's no place that gives an estimate for controlling two fifty lb. dogs who lunge at rabbits and other critters on the trails. I just chalk it up as a little resistance workout and enjoy nature (and my dogs). Chill.

Stage14

I also have to wonder if 10 min of walking "the dog" isn't possibly part of a larger something (though if that's all she's doing, hey she's still doing SOMETHING!). I know when I first joined on here, before I had a HRM or any clue how to calculate my calories burned, I logged every single thing I did in a workout to try and get as accurate a calorie count as possible. It wasn't at all odd to see my 10 minutes of moderate walking for warm up and cool down logged right alongside my main cardio and strength activities, as well as 4-6 minutes of stretching.

1shauna1

I don't count my dog walking as exercise because, well, the way my dogs go about it, it's no exercise for me! They're all over the place sniffing, and I'm left standing waiting for them! lol

smily_001

Really? How does this effect you in anyway? I walk my dog anywhere between 2-4 miles, wear my hrm and burn over 300 cals. I don't eat them back but if I did that would nit affect you I'm any way. Oh and I've lost over 100lbs.

slim4health56

I live in Detroit, so it's smart to take some kind of weapon when you exercise here, even though I live in one of the nice neighborhoods. Lately I have been walking (running) my neighbor's Rottweiler for him. What a workout! Also, walking this dog definitely solves the safety/protection issue. No one will come within 20 feet of me, lol.

LOL! I LOVE this! I live in a neighborhood that's known as "meth heaven" in central California...yet oddly, I'm never bothered by any of the addicts or pimps when I walk my "boys"...one Airedale on each side. I also sleep soundly at night. God bless you for walking the Rottie!

bcattoes

It's possible the person was just taking a 10 min walk during a work break to get in a little added exercise. I just did 10 min of calisthenics on my break and I logged it.

Minnie2361

I walk hiking trails where there are stairs, I mean 120 steps down 130 back up, there are mini hills, steep hills,
So there is a lot of downhill and climbs back up with some easy areas in between I do on average an hour to an hour and a half
each day all the dogs my friends included. The trails are off leash and the dogs want to keep moving and I have to keep up.

Yesterday I did a 2 hour for the fun of it. that was 100 steps down 98 steps back up , another 110 steps down and 120 back up ,
with non stopping walking in between.

it certainly Beats the bump and grind and constant the toxic thump of music found in a cardio class.
It gets me outside regardless of the weather and the forest is tranquil.

When I am walking the small pack it makes me feel safe.

horrorstory

Why dont you just worry about yourself instead? Who cares what other people are using for a work out. Not everyone can hit the gym or throw in a DVD, for some people walking is the only thing they can do. And all the power to them for kicking *kitten* and going for a walk. Everyone is different, focus on yourself.

AND...
You obviously dont know how bloody fast my dog is. I let him set the pace, and it is not slow.

MyaPapaya75

OP why do you care? mind your goals you will get there faster, really if people want to have setbacks let them.

wildheart_cowgirl

I think what you forgot to look at is the fact that different dog breeds require different walk times, and different amounts of activity while on their walk. Some dogs such as the smaller breeds only require a 10 minute walk every other day, while other breed dogs such as a husky needs a three mile run daily.

Also, please keep in mind that in hot weather dogs can become dehydrated and even suffer a heat stroke so time to walk them in the morning is limited depending on the time of day a person gets up. In cold weather, dogs can get hypothermia and can even burn their pads of their paws by walking on ice.

You also have to factor in the age of the dog as well. Older dogs who are suffering from arthritic pains should only be given short walks; either around the block or to the end of block/street and back, depending on their condition.

Now, if some people have dogs but are lacking a yard space to turn their dog out in to go to the bathroom. These dogs will require more walks. These dogs need to be let out at least 2-4 more times more before the end of the day but again this is also based on the type of dog.

Yes, the average dog can easily walk a mile or two every day, although most owners do not have the time or energy for this. So, shorter walks on days when time is limited and longer walks on other days make up for the difference. Most dogs should be walked daily, if not at least five walks a week should do most dogs breeds just fine. Walking helps keep both the dog and its owner in healthy shape; mentally and physically.

So, if this individual wants to log ten minutes of walk time with her dog, let her. Maybe, her dog only requires ten minutes of walking time per day. Maybe, she was like me and could only walk that long to start with which I give her respect for that because I started off at five minutes and had to work my way up and currently I am at twenty-minutes of walking with my dogs and I log that as exercise. Instead of talking down on her maybe offering her suggestions on how to improve would have been the better approach to this situation.

In the end, I guess what it really boils down to is this “to each their own”.

judy20in2011

1. What business is it of yours how they log...if they are doing it wrong it will affect their results, not yours.

2. If they walked the dog burning 30 calories 2x per day, that would add up to over 400 calories per week, obviously every little bit adds up.

3. I wish folks would use the forums for reasons other than only wanting to complain, your post offers nothing in the way of offering to help solve a problem, etc, its just to *****.

That is all.

Pangea250

I hate to tell you, but walking the dog is, indeed, exercise. If it bothers you to see it that much, unfriend her. But you need to understand that 10 minutes of walking a dog is 10 more minutes than a couch potato is doing.

Don't be so judgmental. It's not very becoming.

ETA: You've probably succeeded in completely embarassing her. Way to go. To the dog-walker: if you see this, friend me.

Darius66

I log any dog walk over 10 minutes. I wear my HRM for most walks and know about how much I lose even without the HRM on. As long as you walk somewhat faster it is indeed worth logging.

Minnie2361

have to rant!!! Walking the dog for 10 min. and "burning" 30 calories is NOT exercise!!!! I am so sick of seeing that and then the person "eats" their "workout" calories back. Then she wonders why she is not losing! Probably because you are eating above your macro goals.

For one studies show that 10 - 20 minute small walks daily are a benefit.
For some older people and the very obese it is the best they can do.
More intense workouts can cause fall plus ankle and joint injuries.


Given that most diets are calorie deficient {lets say 1200 to 1300 for women , more for men} eating a few calories back on after exercise is okay.
Exercise does not correlate with weight loss, the type of exercise needed to burn off 100 pounds of weight would be so energy intensive would take hours and one would have to up one's calorie intake to survive them.


Then there is the Minnesota starvation experiment found on the wiki Food for thought:

approximately 3,200 calories of food each day. The diet of the subjects who were close to their “ideal” weight was adjusted so as to maintain caloric balance, while the diets of the underweight and overweight individuals was adjusted so as to bring them close to their ideal weight. On average, the group ended up slightly below their “ideal” weight.[2]:74 In addition, the clinical staff of the Laboratory of Physiological Hygiene routinely conducted a series of anthropometric, physiological and psychological tests designed to characterize the physical and mental health of each participant under normal conditions.


2.Semi-Starvation Period (24 weeks):

During the 6-month semi-starvation period, each subject’s dietary intake was cut to approximately 1,560 calories per day. Their meals were composed of foods that were expected to typify the diets of people in Europe during the latter stages of the war: potatoes, rutabagas, turnips, bread and macaroni.