Does grocery shopping count as exercise?

mamagooskie

Ok people, I'm sorry, but GROCERY SHOPPING IS NOT EXERCISE!!! Neither is folding laundry, watering the plants, putting milk in your cereal or pressing the gas pedal EVEN if you are pushing it really hard and speeding!! Basically, if you have to ask...guess what...IT'S PROBABLY NOT EXERCISE!!!

This pretty much sums it up!!

ambercole

I added 30 minutes of slow walking (2.0 mph) to my exercise today, but I was grocery shopping. I was pushing the cart and walking, do you think this is accurate?

Only if you're one of those extreme couponers that spends 7hrs grocery shopping and then gets $4000 worth of groceries for 15cents!

Mucky_Duck

Well I log mine. That said I walk 15 minutes to the store, use a basket not a trolley and then have to carry near 10kg of items on my walk back home. I'm also on sedentary setting.

skinnyjeanzbound

Ok people, I'm sorry, but GROCERY SHOPPING IS NOT EXERCISE!!! Neither is folding laundry, watering the plants, putting milk in your cereal or pressing the gas pedal EVEN if you are pushing it really hard and speeding!! Basically, if you have to ask...guess what...IT'S PROBABLY NOT EXERCISE!!!

Uh oh! Someone's been poking PatientBear w/ a stick!:noway:

Pebble321

Ok people, I'm sorry, but GROCERY SHOPPING IS NOT EXERCISE!!! Neither is folding laundry, watering the plants, putting milk in your cereal or pressing the gas pedal EVEN if you are pushing it really hard and speeding!! Basically, if you have to ask...guess what...IT'S PROBABLY NOT EXERCISE!!!

PatientBear really is a misnomer isn't it??

No, PatientBear, for you it's not exercise. Not for me either.
But, for some people it probably is.

Now, go find some honey or a pic-a-nic basket and have a nap!!

Lisa__Michelle

I don't because I don't break a sweat and my heart rate doesn't increase a lot. It's not real exercise unless you are out of breath/sweating/higher heart rate.

PatientBear

Ok people, I'm sorry, but GROCERY SHOPPING IS NOT EXERCISE!!! Neither is folding laundry, watering the plants, putting milk in your cereal or pressing the gas pedal EVEN if you are pushing it really hard and speeding!! Basically, if you have to ask...guess what...IT'S PROBABLY NOT EXERCISE!!!

PatientBear really is a misnomer isn't it??

No, PatientBear, for you it's not exercise. Not for me either.
But, for some people it probably is.

Now, go find some honey or a pic-a-nic basket and have a nap!!

Real bears don't nap. And what the hell is a pic-a-nic basket??? Is that anything like a picnic basket? And you clearly have not read the PatientBear disclaimer.

Pebble321

I don't because I don't break a sweat and my heart rate doesn't increase a lot. It's not real exercise unless you are out of breath/sweating/higher heart rate.

You know, I just don't agree with this. It is dismissive and unfair to people who are just getting started and aren't as fit as you clearly are.
That might be your definition of exercise but it doesn't mean you don't burn calories doing things where you don't break a sweat.

If someone does something that burns calories (like walking or shopping) and that is extra activity over and above their regular daily activities then that has not been accounted for in their daily calorie allowance and it may well be appropriate to log that as exercise.

You don't know every single person's particular situations, so it isn't helpful to make dismissive, blanket statements.
What is helpful is that people understand how their calories are accounted for - so if they are already covered in their daily activity then they shouldn't add them as extra exercise.

TDGee

If you want to count grocery shopping as exercise, try doing it in say, Afghanistan. Under fire. That will get your heart rate up and a sweat going. Just a thought.

FindingFit50s

Okay, I hafta throw my .02 in here. I'm going into a lot of detail with this, but hopefully it will clarify the issue a bit. Hopefully.

The way I see it, it should count only in *the* very narrowest of all possible contexts.

When I started MFP "for real" the first of June, I was just coming out of months of being pretty much disabled by knee pain. For about 6 months, I wasn't able to even do my own grocery shopping. I used Peapod & Shop-Rite's online ordering and delivery service. My husband was doing all of the housework except for dishwashing, cooking, and whatever else I could accomplish while seated in a rolling office chair.

I had been given some cursory treatments, but was told my only real hope was total knee replacements because of the athritic damage - "bone on bone" is how the ortho referred to it.

Fortunately, I discovered The Spine Center/Center for Pain Management. An anesthesiologist gave me a series of injections in my knees over a period of three weeks. They were a cocktail of cortisone and anesthetic and they were miraculous for me.

I was finally able to gradually begin doing my own shopping again, although at first it left me exhausted for the rest of the day.

So, when I started here in June, just about the same time I started back shopping, I counted it as exercise because I was going from vitally zero activity to being able to get around again. I also counted housework that I had not been able to do during those months of disability.

Notice the key here is that I'm using past tense. Even though it hasn't even been three months yet, I have been working hard to steadily increase my activity level. I started going back to the gym. The first time I got on the elliptical crosstrainer a few weeks ago, THREE MINUTES made me feel like I was gonna have a heart attack. Today I was able to do a full ten minutes on it, really "hoofing it" and then did 20 minutes of stationary bike sprinting, then half an hour of circuits on the nautilus equipment. Needless to say, I do not count grocery shopping or normal housework anymore.

And I'm not one of the thin folks who have reached their goal and are accustomed to workouts. I still weigh 303 pounds as of this morning, but by working hard these past couple of months, I have lost 31 pounds and started building my fitness level. I am on the verge of giving up my walking cane that I've been using for nearly a year.

So. My opinion -- take it or leave it -- is this. If you fall within the kind of narrow circumstances I was in, I would say you're justified in counting the grocery shopping as exercise. But only temporarily, until you can do better.

If you're counting it under less stringent conditions, the only person you're cheating is yourself.

PatientBear

I don't because I don't break a sweat and my heart rate doesn't increase a lot. It's not real exercise unless you are out of breath/sweating/higher heart rate.

You know, I just don't agree with this. It is dismissive and unfair to people who are just getting started and aren't as fit as you clearly are.
That might be your definition of exercise but it doesn't mean you don't burn calories doing things where you don't break a sweat.

If someone does something that burns calories (like walking or shopping) and that is extra activity over and above their regular daily activities then that has not been accounted for in their daily calorie allowance and it may well be appropriate to log that as exercise.

You don't know every single person's particular situations, so it isn't helpful to make dismissive, blanket statements.
What is helpful is that people understand how their calories are accounted for - so if they are already covered in their daily activity then they shouldn't add them as extra exercise.

You also shouldn't pander to people and tell them that something is helping them when it's not. I get that everyone has to start somewhere and every single person on this site should be proud of their accomplishments regardless of whether this is their first day on here or their 1000th. However, telling people that they can lose weight shopping for groceries or making the bed or doing three jumping jacks is just simply not accurate.

Part of this site is being accountable and learning how to live a healthy lifestyle. I refuse to give false praise because I believe people may NEED to hear something regardless of whether they WANT to or not. Ultimately, you get more benefit out of the truth...even if it hurts a little when you hear it initially.

I know, I know....ArrogantBear, JerkBear, IHateYouBear...blah, blah, blah. Fine. I'm arrogant. I'm a jerk. You hate me. Ok. I'm fine with that. But the fact of the matter is that I say what I say with the best of intentions. Take it as you wish.

Let me reiterate - every single person on this site deserves to be proud of what they have accomplished. But to truly change your life and your lifestyle, it takes work, commitment and a change from your previous lifestyle and habits. And grocery shopping does not count.

Awkward30

I don't because I don't break a sweat and my heart rate doesn't increase a lot. It's not real exercise unless you are out of breath/sweating/higher heart rate.

You know, I just don't agree with this. It is dismissive and unfair to people who are just getting started and aren't as fit as you clearly are.
That might be your definition of exercise but it doesn't mean you don't burn calories doing things where you don't break a sweat.

If someone does something that burns calories (like walking or shopping) and that is extra activity over and above their regular daily activities then that has not been accounted for in their daily calorie allowance and it may well be appropriate to log that as exercise.

You don't know every single person's particular situations, so it isn't helpful to make dismissive, blanket statements.
What is helpful is that people understand how their calories are accounted for - so if they are already covered in their daily activity then they shouldn't add them as extra exercise.

I agree. Especially if the person in question carries a significant amount of weight because that really does cause them to expend more energy than a person of lower mass. I would agree with others that have said it may not be a good idea to eat back those calories though, since the app takes into account that even sedentary people do have some level of activity... That's why it's basal metabolic rate x 1.2

You can always try it out for a few weeks and if you aren't losing, switch to logging fewer activities that are less obviously exercise

That said, my goal is to get cardio in every day, so I don't even log strength training (I log bodypump, but that is more like intervals with weights... And I almost always do additional cardio.

ivyjbres

Maybe if you're pushing that kiddie car- shopping cart monstrosity. Those things are pretty heavy and are a pain i the *kitten* to maneuver.

Azdak

If you walk 5 miles to the store, fill a backpack with 40lb of groceries, put it on and walk back home, yes.

Otherwise, not so much.

Pebble321

PatientBear doesn't like to "panda" to people.... :laugh:

PB, you make some good points, I just feel that people posting "unless you're sweating it out, you're not exercising" is really mean to those who have a lot to lose and are just getting started. For some people, a 15 min walk around the block (or the mall) is a big deal. It's not going to cut it for long, but if it gets someone started it's great.

I still think the question has to be taken in context - and for some people (OK, I admit, not many) slow walking/shopping is a valid way to burn cals.
But, if people are logging it just to eat more, then there is probably a better way to get more cals or to make better food choices. And they are only going to be cheating themselves out of losing weight if it isn't valid for them.

I won't poke you with any more sticks today, I promise

RangerSteve

ac·tiv·i·ty

the state or quality of being active
energetic activity; animation; liveliness.
a use of energy or force; an active movement or operation.


ex·er·cise

bodily or mental exertion, especially for the sake of training or improvement of health:
something done or performed as a means of practice or training:
a putting into action, use, operation, or effect:



There seems to be some confusion between activity and exercise in here. Grocery shopping is NOT exercise unless you're loading all your groceries into a pack and running up stairs with them.

Speedy89

haha, awesome.

Jill_newimprovedversion

Anything that I normally would do such as grocery shop, clean the house, walking at work I don't count. I figure my body is use to that anyways so I wouldn't really burn any calories so why count it.

That's what I was told by NUMEROUS professionals in the medical, physical/occupational therapy, fitness field(s),
so I value their word.

That is WHY MFP has you list your daily activity.

And, in the course of grocery shopping, seldom does anyone continually MOVE NON-STOP the whole entire time. You stop, pick up items, (generally) read labels, check off your grocery list, etc.

dls06

I think that's reaching just a little.

becka63

I always break a sweat at the check out! It's scary watching those numbers get higher.

I meander around my supermarket so I never log it...but I can totally understand why some people might.

AI1108

For the average Joe, I wouldn't really count it, unless grocery shopping really is that taxing on your body. I find it's one of those things that you just do and is already part of your daily activity calories. It's like logging going to the kitchen to make yourself a sandwich.

koosdel

Have you ever tried HIIGS (High Intensity Interval Grocery Shopping). I did once. Never again. The bill was like $500 and my cabinets are still full of weird foods I can't even pronounce.

Sometimes.... I log grocery shopping as 'Cage Fighting'.

Miss_Chievous_wechange

Have you ever tried HIIGS (High Intensity Interval Grocery Shopping). I did once. Never again. The bill was like $500 and my cabinets are still full of weird foods I can't even pronounce.

OMG Taso, you are so eff'n funny!

koosdel

Ummm...no. Grocery shopping is not exercise. Sorry.

Oh gimme a break!

I saw a bear take down moose on TV one time, that looked like one Hell of a workout to me.

Lisa__Michelle

I don't because I don't break a sweat and my heart rate doesn't increase a lot. It's not real exercise unless you are out of breath/sweating/higher heart rate.

You know, I just don't agree with this. It is dismissive and unfair to people who are just getting started and aren't as fit as you clearly are.
That might be your definition of exercise but it doesn't mean you don't burn calories doing things where you don't break a sweat.

If someone does something that burns calories (like walking or shopping) and that is extra activity over and above their regular daily activities then that has not been accounted for in their daily calorie allowance and it may well be appropriate to log that as exercise.

You don't know every single person's particular situations, so it isn't helpful to make dismissive, blanket statements.
What is helpful is that people understand how their calories are accounted for - so if they are already covered in their daily activity then they shouldn't add them as extra exercise.

I still stick by what I said because I know there are people who have A LOT to lose and who are clearly out of shape (I have a relative who is over 300 lbs and never leaves the couch... literally). If she were to walk the grocery store she would be out of breath and sweating... she would be getting a workout then. I'm not going to lie to people and tell them that it is a workout if they are in shape enough to handle it either and not sweating, out of breath, or feeling it at all (I agree with PatientBear).

ebelliss

if your activity level is set at sedentary, i say log it. if not, i would leave it out.

GLORIAGEAN

http://www.fitday.com/webfit/burned/calories_burned.html

This website will give you calories burned for grocery shopping and several other things. It was sent to me by another person on MFP.

acasey0123

I always break a sweat at the check out! It's scary watching those numbers get higher.

hahahahah

msmandyjo

Maybe if you're pushing that kiddie car- shopping cart monstrosity. Those things are pretty heavy and are a pain i the *kitten* to maneuver.

I hate that darn thing!!!

I don't count mine, but I feel like I should sometimes... Pushing the blasted kiddie cart, dealing w/ a 3yr old and a 18 mo old, through 3 stores.. no less than 3 hours (usually closer to 5 total... yes I'm a couponer).. It's exhausting.. Yes I have worked up a sweat, and even done sprints a time or two... And throw in some strength training in the form of pushing a buggy while carrying 28 lbs of squirminess, and making sure the other doesn't run, and mind you, I'm pushing the cart they wanted me to get for them, even though it's a bigger pain than I don't know what. ... Man I hate Thursday!!!

But, I think the main reason I don't log it is because I haven't yet worn my HRM to the store. I think whether you log it or not, should depend on what you normally do during a day, and what you log for working out. But, if you typically sedentary and count walking as your exercise, then okay.... but other than that, no, unless you shop like I do then maybe ;p

Misiaxcore

I see how people saunter through grocery stores. Can't say I'd count that as any exercise at all. Unless of course the person in question is morbidly obese, has a physical disability, or literally never ever moves anywhere, ever.