Do you log walking as your exercise?

ironclaw79

Everyday, I am sure I walk at around 10,000 steps. Do you log this as your exercise or you don't mind it?

editorgrrl

Things you do every day are part of your activity level, and should not be logged.

Read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-Sexypants

bwogilvie

Everyday, I am sure I walk at around 10,000 steps. Do you log this as your exercise or you don't mind it?

Every time this question comes up in the forums, you get two answers: No, because it's part of your everyday activities, and yes, because it's exercise.

Either answer is OK. Personally, I don't log everyday walking around the house, at work, in the grocery store, etc. I log walks only when they are discrete activities when I'm not doing anything else -- that is, when I am walking in order to walk -- and I arbitrarily decided to log only walks of at least 30 minutes. Those walks are analogous to my bike rides or runs, in that they're deliberate exercise.

If you decide to log such walking, though, be sure that your baseline activity level is set at Sedentary, because you'll be adding in the walk calories. And beware of overestimating calorie burn; walking doesn't use that many calories, and you should only log the difference between the activity and your resting metabolic rate (the calories you would have burned just sitting instead of walking).

lizj0nes21

I had this same question but just didn't post it. Although it wasnt quite about everyday walking. I don't really do much, and I never go shopping other than grocery shopping (and I don't log walking for grocery shopping). However, yesterday my fiancé were out shopping for 3 hours, so I logged 1 1/2 hours of walking at the slowest pace that MFP has. It really depends on if you consider it exercise or not. I found myself exhausted and tired and since I don't usually do that much walking/shopping, I logged half of the time.

broox80

It depends for me. I have fitbit zip. I just use it to log most of my walking. When I do aerobic exercise like zumba, I log that and override the steps on my zip.

proudjmmom

I don't log everyday walking, like around the house, at work. But I do log intentional going for a walk for exercise. Walking has been my main source of exercise for over a year now.

Hoover8it

I have the Fitbit One and that logs everything I do.

Francl27

That's why I switched to TDEE-20%, that way I can account for it in my activity and not worry about having to eat calories back or whatever... I walk in average 45 minutes a day.

meshashesha2012

I don't log it if I'm not using it as outright exercise. For me exercise is only counted if my heart rate is above a certain rate for a certain amount of time. Also since I keep my exercise steps separate from my daily steps, I don't consider those as exercise

liloldDee

I have a fitbit one and have my settings on fitbit and mfp as sedentary. I usually walk between 15/20k steps per day. Fitbit gives me the calories for these steps but I only eat back around half the calories.

farway

I have Runkeeper, which logs my longer outdoor walking, a couple of miles or a bit more at times, which is my only exercise. I don't log just going round house, out into garden etc

If you do log be aware MFP tends to over estimate calories used

Slinky_BraveHeartBunsOfSteel

I only log walking when it is a walk for exersise purposes. I won't log walking my son to school, or waking to the shops (even though its a mile each way) because they are part of my daily life/routine.

andiechick

I don't log the walk to and from the school as I do that regularly but if I do anything else for example taking the dog out or shopping in town then I do as its added extra. I've just bought a fitbit so I'm still getting used to tracking my steps with this

Gwen_B

I only let exercise as exercise. I am too fit to count walking as exercise, so I never log walking as exercise!! If you set a side walking as your exercise and you are walking as fast as you possible can, than it may be actually exercise for you, but not everyday walking. You can walk everyday and gain weight so you cant exactly expect it to help you lose weight!!

Reagan89

I log walking if it's a walk I don't do normally i.e not my walk to work but I will walk to town centre now instead of taking the car and log that

Gwen_B

Things you do every day are part of your activity level, and should not be logged.

I wish everyone understood this!!

Shoechick5

I have the Fitbit One and that logs everything I do.

^^ this^^

Booksandbeaches

I don't log in walking I do in the course of the day as part of my job or daily life. If I go on a walk specifically to walk, I'll log it. So walking the dog gets logged as does a 3 mile walk done for exercise purposes.

erinbartholomew5

I log my walks that I take specifically for exercise. I tend to focus more on stretching my muscles and walking quickly. If you do something out of the ordinary from your routine, I say log it. For example, a day walking in the city, a long trip to the mall, etc.

docdevore

Everyday, I am sure I walk at around 10,000 steps. Do you log this as your exercise or you don't mind it?

Like editorgrrl, I only log walking if it is above and beyond my normal routine.

lexbubbles

I'm sedentary, so I log walking as my exercise. Eg I log walking to/from the supermarket (3/4 mile each way) although I don't log walking *around* the supermarket.

I also walk to/from the cinema whenever I go, which is 2 miles each way, so I log that.

But if you walk every day you can either keep your activity level at sedentary and log everything, or up your activity level and only log any *additional* walking you do on top of your standard.

fairygirlpie9

I personally don't see walking as serious exercise. If it's not something I didn't intentionally set out to do for exercise purposes then it isn't getting logged simple as. However there are some people that do walk as a form of exercise in their case I would say its fine for them to log. It's all about your intentions. 'Light cleaning/dusting' or 'walking up stairs' should not be considered loggable exercise in my opinion.

Swiftdogs

Walking is the reason the indicator on my ticker is over on the right side. I wear a Fitbit and log a lot more steps than my sedentary job would indicate. The MFP sedentary setting is for someone who doesn't move much.

Calliope610

I only log walking when I have laced up my sneakers, put in my earbuds and walked miles, not steps.

kgeyser

I only log walking if I am specifically doing it as exercise. I occasionally do more walking than is part of my normal routine (running lots of errands, nice day outside so the whole family goes for a long walk), but I don't log it. I think if I logged things like that I would make myself crazy trying to keep my calorie numbers in check, and I need to keep this simple.

Shoechick5

I personally don't see walking as serious exercise. If it's not something I didn't intentionally set out to do for exercise purposes then it isn't getting logged simple as. However there are some people that do walk as a form of exercise in their case I would say its fine for them to log. It's all about your intentions. 'Light cleaning/dusting' or 'walking up stairs' should not be considered loggable exercise in my opinion.

I'm still sore from our 5 1/2 mile walk yesterday which was a 350 calorie burn. I'll take that thank you.

bobf279

I consciously go for a brisk walk up to 3 times a day at work, these I log. Sometimes I walk before and after a run to warm up/cool down, these I log. Normal day to day walking I don't log as this is normal daily activity.

rockmama72

I do. I used sedentary for my setting and I log every activity, even the end of day total from my pedometer, and I eat back every single calorie because I earned them.

There is no right or wrong way to use MFP, contrary to what people will tell you here. It's just a tool; you've got to figure out what works for you.

Bambalina_1

No I do Not log my walks to the train station or to work or around the house because I was doing these prior to MFP and it's at a leisurely pace.

I Do however log the 2.5mile walk I do at a fast pace 5 times a week as this is my choice of exercise. I generally burn around 260 cals and have used a map app to log a circuit which I follow and try to beat my previous time.

81Katz

When I purposely leave the house to go for a walk (usually 3-6 miles depending which route I take that day) I log it.

Walking around the house, walking around a shopping mall or a grocery store, NO *I* don't log that. That's 'normal' activity/movement IMO.

kschlap

As a personal rule, I only log walking when it's over 15 minutes. If I'm just walking around the house or walking around a store, no, but if the walking is a continuation of walking for over 15 minutes, then I'll log it. I only do this so that it's easy to log and so I don't get caught up in trying to account for every step I take. I only like to log it when it's a significant amount of time.