Recording my Walks?

crankyrobot

Hi everyone,
I'm wondering if anyone is in a similar situation as me and what they've done.

I have listed myself as "sedentary" because I work at an office job and am seated most of the day. However, I'm also a New Yorker and I walk about 20-40 minutes every day.

I've been timing my walks and adding them to my diary on top of my normal exercise, but I'm wondering if this won't be accurate. I suppose the best way to tell is to calculate using BMR and such...I just didn't know what people thought.

kao708

I would count the walks as additional exercise if you are set at sedentary.

Sphillips9686

well i just recently bought via heart monitor. I clip it to my pants and it counts the amount of steps i take,the amount of calories i burn, and total distance per workout. It was not expensive at all it was approx. $25. I wear it while I am at work and sometimes while im at home or on my way to the gym. So if you invest in that it would probably work good for ypi

running_mom

I'm not sure but I think since that is in your everyday life you shouldn't log it. Just my opnion. It's like cleaning. I don't log it unless it's a top to bottom clean that really gets me going. But I'm not an expert.

DanOhh

Count the walks, the 'sedentary' deals with you not being active during the majority of your day behind the desk.

FatUncleRob

I would count the walks as additional exercise if you are set at sedentary.

I agree. I'd count it.

crankyrobot

I just know that I don't do enough for my job to be listed as anything BUT sedentary, but I also have a feeling that most sedentary people drive to work, and therefore don't get that "brisk 4.0 mph" walk in

LorinaLynn

How about setting yourself to lightly active instead of sedentary?

I did that and no longer count walking the dog as exercise.

crankyrobot

well i just recently bought via heart monitor. I clip it to my pants and it counts the amount of steps i take,the amount of calories i burn, and total distance per workout. It was not expensive at all it was approx. $25. I wear it while I am at work and sometimes while im at home or on my way to the gym. So if you invest in that it would probably work good for ypi

Thanks so much, I've been looking online for an inexpensive one that works well. I don't like the one I currently have because it makes me choose the activity level and I'm not sure I'm doing it right.

Can you recommend a good brand?

whiskey9890

for me if i were doing these walks already prior to using mfp i wouldn't count them as the body was already used to them but if they were added since joining i would count them as they have become additional exercise

crankyrobot

Lorina, I just have a feeling that the sedentariness of my work still isn't enough with the 'lightly active' category.

kbanzhaf

Hi,

I record the walks I take each day if they are intentional exercise. I walk a mile before work, one at noon, and three or four each night

However, according to my pedometer that I wear all day, I walk an additional two-three miles daily. Those I don't count, because I figure that isn't intentional.

All that being said, walking is basically the only exercise I do. My daughter and I are going to work on toning together this summer when she is home from college. After I had lost my weight, a friend asked me how I had done it. I told him what I had done diet-wise, and then said, "I walked my *kitten* off." He turned me around, and whispered, "Literally." :laugh: Following Dave's death just a couple of short months later from Swine Flu, it was one of the stories I shared with his family.
Kaye

Atlantique

I'm in a similar situation and I only log 'extra' walks, not commuting or walking the dog the normal amount. I only log walking if I decided to take the dog on an extra long walk or walked specifically for exercise.

bmmarti3

Lorina, I just have a feeling that the sedentariness of my work still isn't enough with the 'lightly active' category.

Office job = Sedentary
Walking to work = Exercise

A secondary thought, you may want to adjust your entered walking speed. 4 MPH is a pretty decent clip (15 min/mile). Unless you're hoofing it a more accurate walk is 3 MPH (20 min/mile). You could figure the speed out by finding how far you walk and dividing by how long it took you to get there.

Windi38

I think the sedentary setting is pretty much zero activity at all. So I'd count the brisk everyday walk as extra. I set my own at sedentary as well, because I'm a SAHM and really, the only time I do anything 'active' is when I am working out or walking the dogs. I don't count cleaning house because my body is used to it. Now, if I cleaned the whole house from top to bottom, then yeah, I'd count that, but I don't do that!

Also, I have the Polar FT7 heart rate monitor and love it. It seems very accurate as far as calorie counting goes. I noticed that the pre-sets for certain activities are very generous calorie wise. The other day I hiked with my dogs for 80 minutes and my hrm said I burned 360 calories. But when I logged in 'hiking' here, it tried to give me over 600 calories! Now, I was walking pretty brisk and worked up a sweat, but I only burn over 600 calories when I'm bicycling at 12mph for over an hour! But my heart rate monitor has my height, weight, age and all that in it, and since it monitors my heart rate, it can tell if I'm working hard or not. That's why I like it so much.

the sales guy at the store I bought it from said that Polar is the only hrm brand they don't ever have returns on, so that tells you something. I was returning another brand (forgot already what it was) at the time and asked what the best one they had was. It cost around $80. Has a chest strap that is very comfortable, so it's a very reliable way to keep tabs on how hard you are working. The watch only ones aren't nearly as reliable.

Windi38

Lorina, I just have a feeling that the sedentariness of my work still isn't enough with the 'lightly active' category.

Office job = Sedentary
Walking to work = Exercise

A secondary thought, you may want to adjust your entered walking speed. 4 MPH is a pretty decent clip (15 min/mile). Unless you're hoofing it a more accurate walk is 3 MPH (20 min/mile). You could figure the speed out by finding how far you walk and dividing by how long it took you to get there.

I'm short, and also have shorter legs in relation to my body, so 4mph for me is a jog! At best, walking, I can do 3mph. My 'normal' walk, not strolling but not pushing it too hard either is 2.5mph. My husband, who has long legs for his height (5'10") has a normal walk of 3mph and a fast walk of 4mph. So much depends on height and leg length. It makes it hard for us to take walks together, I have to either really hoof it along to keep up (and then I get shin splints) or he has to go really slow! LOL

Sphillips9686

well i just recently bought via heart monitor. I clip it to my pants and it counts the amount of steps i take,the amount of calories i burn, and total distance per workout. It was not expensive at all it was approx. $25. I wear it while I am at work and sometimes while im at home or on my way to the gym. So if you invest in that it would probably work good for ypi

Thanks so much, I've been looking online for an inexpensive one that works well. I don't like the one I currently have because it makes me choose the activity level and I'm not sure I'm doing it right.

Can you recommend a good brand?

I have the new balance brand. Here is the link to the one that i have http://nbmonitors.com/pedometers/via-pedometers/

aamb

i record my walks with the dogs because 1, they r not my dogs and 2, the walks r intentional and 3 they r brisk

crankyrobot

Lorina, I just have a feeling that the sedentariness of my work still isn't enough with the 'lightly active' category.

Office job = Sedentary
Walking to work = Exercise

A secondary thought, you may want to adjust your entered walking speed. 4 MPH is a pretty decent clip (15 min/mile). Unless you're hoofing it a more accurate walk is 3 MPH (20 min/mile). You could figure the speed out by finding how far you walk and dividing by how long it took you to get there.

I'm short, and also have shorter legs in relation to my body, so 4mph for me is a jog! At best, walking, I can do 3mph. My 'normal' walk, not strolling but not pushing it too hard either is 2.5mph. My husband, who has long legs for his height (5'10") has a normal walk of 3mph and a fast walk of 4mph. So much depends on height and leg length. It makes it hard for us to take walks together, I have to either really hoof it along to keep up (and then I get shin splints) or he has to go really slow! LOL

Yes! I am 6 feet tall so my walk is normally about 3mph, and my "rushing to work, I'm late" walk is about 4.0 mph.

NotAllWhoWanderAreLost

I have the new balance brand. Here is the link to the one that i have http://nbmonitors.com/pedometers/via-pedometers/

Please don't confuse a HRM (heart rate monitor) with a pedometer :ohwell: They are two different things