yard work

singcoz528

So I did a community service project today. We were fixing up some old tennis courts. We were weeding, plowing, tearing up asphalt, raking leaves, all kinds of things.

I worked my BUTT off!:sick:

So I decided to find out how many calories I burned while doing all this. I worked for about 5 hours with a break for lunch, so about 4 hours.

The only thing I could really think of to put this kind of exercise under is yard work.

I went to a few different calorie counter sites to see how many calories I burned (mfp doesn't have "yard work" as an exercise and all the site I went to told me I burned between 1400-1600 calories!?!?!?

This can't be right, is it? I worked over 4 hours continuously...I did more work than most of the maintenance men!:blushing:

HELP! I don't wanna put in the wrong calorie burn!!

singcoz528

So I did a community service project today. We were fixing up some old tennis courts. We were weeding, plowing, tearing up asphalt, raking leaves, all kinds of things.

I worked my BUTT off!:sick:

So I decided to find out how many calories I burned while doing all this. I worked for about 5 hours with a break for lunch, so about 4 hours.

The only thing I could really think of to put this kind of exercise under is yard work.

I went to a few different calorie counter sites to see how many calories I burned (mfp doesn't have "yard work" as an exercise and all the site I went to told me I burned between 1400-1600 calories!?!?!?

This can't be right, is it? I worked over 4 hours continuously...I did more work than most of the maintenance men!:blushing:

HELP! I don't wanna put in the wrong calorie burn!!

gnu1971

I don't know, sounds about right. Last time I did yard work, I looked it up a couple of different places too, and I averaged it against "gardening". I think I used MFP and www.healthstatus.com.

I just found another site (selling proprietary software, and I would never leave MFP!) with the following for "gardening"

It says if you are 130 lbs / 155 lbs / 190 lbs,
Calories burned per hour are 295 / 352 / 431 respectively.

So 4 hours is 1200 - 1600.

Nice work - both for your community and for yourself!!!

luvlee884

that's almost a full body work out! Arms, abs, legs... your calorie burn sounds good to me!! :flowerforyou:

Ezzie

Sounds fine to me....I think that's one reason I my HRM....it's a wonderful incentive to get out and DO things, I'm frequently surprised how many calories I burn doing simple stuff.

I have found out that electrical stuff (ie.lawn mower start up, computer, car) can send the message that my pulse is like 228:noway: ...so, other than that i'ts gotta be the best $ I've spent for fitness.

No more looking stuff up...I even find that the # of calories depends on so much, the same walk on different days can vary by 200 calories.....faster, more stopping,carrying the cat part way( she tags along THEN wants a ride:ohwell: )...etc.

I think it's wonderful that you're getting out and helping...volunteer stuff has so many advantages, including being too busy to eat!!

shorerider

I spent over 7 hours today shoveling and picking up the old shingles from our roof--2 layers of old shingles--a HUGE Dumpster full of them! There were 5 of us doing the pick up and the rest were putting on the new roof. Anyway, I wore my HRM, and in 7 hours I burnt up close to 2000 calories--not bad. Bike riding is a lot more fun though!

singcoz528

Thanks guys! I'm gonna volunteer more often!:drinker:

ce_fit

Try doing a search here for "general gardening" and then put in your time. Just another search option.

pbdesperate

Why take it so serious. You worked your but off and therefore burned calories. You didn't sit around watching TV. The name of the game is eat right and exercise, which is what you did.