How much exercise do you count?

AutumnsPassage

Exercise is exercise...whether it's daily routine or not! Your body naturally burns a certain number of calories, no matter what you're doing. If you are breaking a sweat, and exerting yourself, then it is considered exercise.
I personally calculate ALL my exercise....even housecleaning. I know that I am using MORE energy when I'm walking, cleaning, biking...even if it's something I do every day.

My thoughts exactly!

mamagooskie

I only count my actual workouts. I sometimes go out on weekends and walk for hours or swim or of course spend a whole day cleaning but I dont record any of that. Only when I go to the gym or do my treadmill or a workout video is it counted.

Lozze

I count my walk to and from work. Yes I did it before but I'm still exercising. (it's about 15/20 minutes)

I don't count walking around the shops, it's too stop start. I don't count cleaning, I don't count little things.

I also don't count weight training but I do eat more if I'm hungry. I also need to start having that damn protein shake.

froeschli

My routine (dogwalking, minor cleaning, walking - less than 1k at a time) should be reflected in the activity level i chose, so I only log extra stuff, shoveling snow, stripping floors, taking a 5k hike to a different store. And of course actual exercise I set outto accomplish..
It's a fine line, and everyone has to decide for themselves what is routine, activity level, etc...

premiumchilenita

I drop my son off to school everyday and I run there and back and that is my time at the "GYM" I don't have a gym membership and that's how I incorporate exercise into my life. If I walk I don't count it because I figure it's part of my daily routine. That might not make sense but that's just me.
If I go for a stroll with my family, I don't count that as exercise but if I clean the house for 5hrs straight and exhausted after that then I count some of it because it's out of my daily routine (although I do clean everyday but not for 5hrs)

Anything that makes me sweat HEAPS or something that is really out of my routine I count.

MumOfGirlsOnly

I count my daily walk as its 5k. I count my circuit training and dvd workouts.
I don't count walking the kids to and from school (15min 2x a day). I don't count any housework or walking around the shops

Rukiya2012

^^GIVE CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE^^
After taking a few minutes to read through the list of exercises, I realized that nothing fit me. As a person experiencing significant ambulatory challenges I cannot do the normal types of exercises. However that does not mean I don't get exercise! Therefore I decided to add a couple of my own descriptions for exercising. The exact calories burnt may not be totally accurate but the concept of diversity exercise as well as giving myself credit for doing exercise are very important.

I have added wheelchair exercise...basic rolling around as a strength exercise. Also I added walking with a walker as a cardiovascular exercise.

Resource for wheelchair exercise: http://www.thewheelchairsite.com/sitesearch.aspx?keywords=exercising&submit.x=12&submit.y=12 This is the beginning of a revolution.

caroliiine86

i count only when i go to the gym, or when i play kinect game

PattiUnleashed

I think it depends on what you put on your normal daily activity , if you put sedentary then it would count as work out. But if you put active or lightly active then it would be just part of your normal daily activity.

This is an interesting thread. I agree on the above quote with Mina. But - I say hey, it really doesn't matter. For instance, let's say you count housework, etc. but are not losing weight. Then it would be obvious that you'd want to stop counting that (since it isn't helping) and begin counting the gym, or a brisk walk, or doing Wii, or whatever, LOL.

It's not in the "counting", it's in the results.

Just my humble opinion,
Patti

wjpeterson71

I like to see what I actually burn in calories a day so I even add my housework in there. I am one to lose stamina when trying to get healthy and anything that I can physically see helps motivate me.
Wendy

fteale

I put in everything that is outside of the ordinary. So I don't include housework or gardening unless I am doing something serious that burns a lot of calories for several hours (so bailing out my kitchen and moving furniture = yes, everyday stuff like washing and cleaning = no). I don't include shopping, but do count it if I am walking for several hours at pace. I would definitely count cycling to work, not that I do any more. It's exercise. I didn't count the hour of zumba I did couple of weeks ago as I only burned 120 cals and would have got a better work out tidying my house.

ezramedic

I *only* count cleaning if it's out of the ordinary stuff - like I steam cleaned my carpets and couches this week - it tooks hours and I was sweating at the end. Otherwise, I only count workouts I set out to do intentionally - like the gym, going for a run, or doing a workout video.

anarose13

if you are going to count all your food intake why would you not count all your exercise? your not going to have acurate results if you dont, you wont know how many calories you burn every day and how many more to add to get to your goal. this is a fault that most people who plateau in their diets dont think about. i count everything, if i feel guilty about recording my four hours of light walking for work then i only add two for the day. exercise is exercise no matter what form it comes in.

Heidi1987

I have my activity level se to sedentary, but i still don't class walking or cleaning as exercise as it is what i do any way. if i purposely go on a walk to be active I will log it, but not if I go shopping or other activities that are involved in my daily life.

aippolito1

I count work (200 calories is what mfp would give me if i changed my lifestyle to lightly active) because i don't work everyday to change my lifestyle to lightly active ... and I count everything that is DELIBERATE exercise, i.e.: my jillian workouts, pilates, any time i go to the gym, any walk that burns more than 100 calories (I typically walk for 30 minutes or more anyway - but if bf says let's go for a walk, and he means circle our little block once, hell no, i'm not counting that).

Sometimes cleaning IF my heart rate is up the whole time and it's strenuous... otherwise, that's it.

tldust

I change my activity level to Sedentary on my days off and Lightly Active on my work days. I put on 10,000-18,000 steps at work, but I figure that's included in lightly active. On my days off, I count anything that is more than my usual routine whether that be working out, dog walking or rare household cleaning like painting trim, shoveling snow or window washing. So far it's been working for me.

katherinemm31

I count exercise as exercise!

Me too, except I don't count things like going up and down my town house stairs, letting the dogs in and out all day, walking from parking lots to buildings. I do count some of the pacing and walking I do while teaching and sometimes shopping if I am doing other things too. I try to be realistic and balance what I count with the lifestyle I have listed.

neverstray

I count everything, even sex (I thought it was super cool that they have sexual activity as an activity).

On days I don't run, I go for a 30 minute walk at work. I count that.

When I surf, skateboard, or ride my bike for fun, I count that.

If I clean the house or garden for a few hours, I count that.

My job is sitting at a desk all day, so anything above that is physical activity.

I went Disneyland one day with my kids, and tracked my walking with the GPS on my phone, it's amazing how much walking you do in a day there. So, I counted that. Oh, also, when I play tennis, I count that.