What is counted at exercise?

adidah

supposedly I burn 480 calories by working at my desk for 8 hours a day. Should I count that as exercise?

CTcutie

No.

50racinggirl

I always tell myself that exercise must be intentional and for the sake of burning calories.

jacksonpt

Were you exercising while you sat at your desk working?

Exercise is a fairly descriptive word. Why do people over-complicate it? Exercise is exercise. Chores, errands, life... not exercise.

Lizzym911

i wouldnt, unless i sweat i dont count it.

adidah

I "dance" in my chair.

I just didn't know if people counted it as calories used. I was up until I thought about it over the weekend.

FrankiesSaysRelax

Were you exercising while you sat at your desk working?

Exercise is a fairly descriptive word. Why do people over-complicate it? Exercise is exercise. Chores, errands, life... not exercise.

This. If I didn't plan an intentional work out, I don't count it as exercise. Cleaning, helping a friend move or even going for a walk with my dog burn calories, but I don't count them.

adidah

Were you exercising while you sat at your desk working?

Exercise is a fairly descriptive word. Why do people over-complicate it? Exercise is exercise. Chores, errands, life... not exercise.

This. If I didn't plan an intentional work out, I don't count it as exercise. Cleaning, helping a friend move or even going for a walk with my dog burn calories, but I don't count them.

I count the dog walking but not cleaning.

FrankiesSaysRelax

Were you exercising while you sat at your desk working?

Exercise is a fairly descriptive word. Why do people over-complicate it? Exercise is exercise. Chores, errands, life... not exercise.

This. If I didn't plan an intentional work out, I don't count it as exercise. Cleaning, helping a friend move or even going for a walk with my dog burn calories, but I don't count them.

I count the dog walking but not cleaning.

And that's totally fine, everyone has different definitions of exercise.

adidah

I didn't want to feel like a loser on days I didn't work out except now I feel like a cheater for counting working at my desk. lol

Thanks for your thoughts everyone! :-)

jacksonpt

I assume you're fairly new at all this? Start simple. Set your activity level to lightly active and only log actual workouts as exercise. Things like walking the dog, playing with kids, raking leaves, etc will be covered by the lightly active setting. It makes things a little less tedious and takes away a bit of the margin for error when it comes to exercise calories.

.

Mcgrawhaha

well, don't count getting frisky as exercise... I tried to find it in the database... wasn't there!

Mcgrawhaha

I didn't want to feel like a loser on days I didn't work out except now I feel like a cheater for counting working at my desk. lol

Thanks for your thoughts everyone! :-)

if your going to count sitting at your desk as exercise, expect to maintain or gain... that's like logging pooping... im sure that burns calories too!

SlimJanette

If I don't sweat, I don't count it.

MysteriousMerlin

I always tell myself that exercise must be intentional and for the sake of burning calories.

This for me, and also anything I do outside my 'normal' range of movement (i.e., the long walk in from the parking lot - I don't count).

jkowula

if your going to count sitting at your desk as exercise, expect to maintain or gain... that's like logging pooping... im sure that burns calories too!

That's awesome! Didn't know I could log a poop!

As for the sweating?? I walk 60 min. 5-6km. I don't sweat, should I not be logging that???

Colorfan

A lot of that calorie burn is just you being alive. You can either count your individual activities all day and not count TDE, or count TDE and not count anything else aside from actual exercise that raises your heart rate/works your muscles.

trudijoy

I think it depends. It's all well and good to say 'excercise must be intentional' but incidental excercise is still excercise. If I've gotten off the couch and gone shopping, for example, I class that as a walk. Why? I walk fast when I'm shopping and burn around the mall. Cleaning? Yup, count it. Why not? I dont' do it every day.

Stuff where you're stood around not moving that much eg food prep I personally don't count, but if it gets people up and moving then go for it - if you're not eating them back.

That's the catch. If you're counting all your movement as calories burned (and why not, if it works for you) you can't fall into the trap of then consuming that many extra calories.

I do TDEE - 20% and don't eat the excercise cals back, so I count the random stuff as well as the hardcore burns. I only eat even a portion back if I've had a huge burn that day from something I consider 'hardcore' excercise and if I'm really hungry.

If you're doing the MFP standard and convincing yourself that cooking nachos for dinner means that you can eat them without the calories mattering, you're not serious about this.

ETA that sitting at your desk doesn't burn 480 calories, unless you are sitting on an excercise bike.

SailorKnightWing

Sitting at your desk is included in your daily activity, even if you chose Sedentary. Don't count it.

Mcgrawhaha

if your going to count sitting at your desk as exercise, expect to maintain or gain... that's like logging pooping... im sure that burns calories too!

That's awesome! Didn't know I could log a poop!

As for the sweating?? I walk 60 min. 5-6km. I don't sweat, should I not be logging that???

id like to add, that some people sweat when using the bathroom... pooping is still not exercise!

I like to think of exercise as intentional activity outside of your normal daily activities... working, cleaning, getting frisky, using the bathroom, walking around the store, cooking... I don't think these things are exercise, I think logging these things ae justifying an excuse to eat extra calories, which in the end, is only cheating yourself!

purposeful walks, running, elliptical, yoga, weight lifting... these are examples of exercise!

just my opinion tho, im not the exercise GOD

brittanyabanks

I count my new job in college as "exercise" at the moment cause I'm not used to working during college but during the summer I wont count working as an "exercise"