When does exercise become normal activity?

Snitch1

Hello! This question is to all you FITNESS PEOPLE, BODY BUILDER'S out there. I should be able to answer this my self, and I have my own opinion, but..want to hear yours.

As an RN, I worked at a Disease Management company for Medical Insurance companies, My job was to call people and check the chronic illness disease status. I.E., a Diabetic, ask for last 3 days of blood sugar readings, and adjust diet/exercise if necessary. Sometimes, alert their MD.

\Now, for people who were OVERWEIGHT, OBESE, and MORBIDLY OBESE, we would counsel them on their diet and exercise.


I defined "exercise" as any physical activity a person does not do on a daily basis, and are ACTIVELY spending extra time on it.

I received a LOT of "feed-back"( from MEN, in particular..just sayin',) that they worked in big factories..did exercise everyday, walked a lot, etc.
I told them.."Hey, if this was exercise, and you were walking MILES everyday, wouldn't you be LOSING weight?"

Their answer."Ah..Ah.."

To me, the definition of exercise is something you do ABOVE AND BEYOND YOUR DAILY ROUTINE which physically exerts your body, raises your heart rate, causes you to sweat, and either you lose weight, build muscle or BOTH.

Now, to all you people who are already physically fit, and you log basically the same exercises week after week, when does it revert to just being your DAILY ROUTINE, and NOT count as exercise anymore?

Wouldn't you, in THEORY, have to keep adjusting your work out's more and more for it to count as EXERCISE?

RESPONSES PLS!!

Pebble321

This is an interesting question and it's related to all the posts about "I saw someone log cleaning as exercise, aren't they cheating?".

I think you are making too much of a distinction between exercise and activity. Activity (like walking around and lifting heavy things all day) certainly burns more calories than sitting behind a desk or in the seat of a truck.
People who have an active job but are overweight must be eating more than they burn. Whether they are burning those cals at the gym or lifting heavy things in the workplace seems irrelevant. Out bodies don't go into some special "weight loss mode" when we step over the threshold of a gym, or put a Jilliam Michael's DVD into the computer. They burn calories all day. If we eat more calories than we burn, we put on weight (I appreciate that for some people there are hormonal/medical etc factors that mean it isn't quite this simple but I also don't think it has to be so complicated!)

But, I do think you have a point that over time our bodies get more efficient at doing a particular activity so we burn less calories doing the same thing. A good reason to change things around if we aren't getting the results we expect.

So, I think my answer to your question, is that the only way to know if you need to adjust the amount of calories you are taking in or the amount of activity and/or exercise you are doing is by monitoring how your body is responding and changing things if needed.

JoolieW68

Curious to see the responses.

secretlobster

It took a couple of months, at least. What got me into exercise was taking a martial arts class. When it became part of my routine (4 days a week), it became part of my life. From there, I branched out into other things - Biking (slightly more serious than recreational), running, fitness boot camps. Now it's 5-6 days a week on average and I feel very restless if I'm not doing something. Your body really does get accustomed to physical activity but the first few weeks, or couple of months even, it can be difficult to continue. If you force yourself past thoughts of "I don't want to" then it really does get easier. Establishing the routine and sticking to it during the transition to being a more active person is the hardest part.

Edit: I log ALL the exercise I do, whether it's part of my normal day or not. It still counts. Since I work a desk job, I set my MFP profile to "sedentary" and I eat back my exercise calories (all of them, if I possibly can). Works for me.

It helps to have a heart rate monitor. I do a lot of high intensity exercise so I'm not worried about getting "too efficient", but an exercise only stops being worthwhile when it doesn't get your heart rate to a certain point. This is kind of rare, unless you're doing a lot of really low-intensity cardio for long periods of time.

Jessintherain

This is an interesting question and it's related to all the posts about "I saw someone log cleaning as exercise, aren't they cheating?".

I think you are making too much of a distinction between exercise and activity. Activity (like walking around and lifting heavy things all day) certainly burns more calories than sitting behind a desk or in the seat of a truck.
People who have an active job but are overweight must be eating more than they burn. Whether they are burning those cals at the gym or lifting heavy things in the workplace seems irrelevant. Out bodies don't go into some special "weight loss mode" when we step over the threshold of a gym, or put a Jilliam Michael's DVD into the computer. They burn calories all day. If we eat more calories than we burn, we put on weight (I appreciate that for some people there are hormonal/medical etc factors that mean it isn't quite this simple but I also don't think it has to be so complicated!)

But, I do think you have a point that over time our bodies get more efficient at doing a particular activity so we burn less calories doing the same thing. A good reason to change things around if we aren't getting the results we expect.

So, I think my answer to your question, is that the only way to know if you need to adjust the amount of calories you are taking in or the amount of activity and/or exercise you are doing is by monitoring how your body is responding and changing things if needed.

Well said.

TrailRunner61

As I've lost weight I've noticed that I sweat a lot less and my HR is lower. I know it's because I'm healthier and it takes less effort to do the same exercises. I'm trying to add more and/or alternate jogging/walking in order to get a better workout.

I agree that your body gets used to regular exercise and I'd say it becomes 'normal' activity when you no longer lose weight doing it. But hey I'm no expert. lol

abetterjune

I agree... And I think that as people become more fit, they tend to naturally increase their exercise. Example: Someone starts running and as they get better/ stronger, maybe they enter some 5 ks or a marathon.

I guess I rarely see really fit people who aren't actively trying to reach farther, jump higher, blah blah etc. So, yes, maybe they're logging the same exercise, btu you can increase the intensity, and most people do to avoid boredom..

Just my opinion though.

veronicacannon

I would think, at some point, if you have any weight loss goals or any other goals like just being healthier and you've finally achieved them, then you should just keep exercising. Everyone needs at least 30 mins a day anyway, once you've lost the weight you are more in maintenance mode. I wouldn't think you would have to keep increasing your workout everyday as long as you aren't gaining anything.

secretlobster

I guess I rarely see really fit people who aren't actively trying to reach farther, jump higher, blah blah etc.

I agree this is a big part of the lifestyle... The constant challenge. There is always a way to improve, a new race or competition, etc.

Rayman79

Pretty simple answer to one of the points you make here (about the men with physical jobs). They have a crappy diet. You can be on your feet all day working but if you stop for your breaks and have a can of coke and a cream bun once or twice a day, and a burger or similar for lunch, all the physical work in the world isnt going to stop you putting on weight.

I have seen a lot of factory workers who have this type of lifestyle and eating habits.

As for exercise no longer being exercise, I don't think the benefits ever dissapear, but as your body adjusts there is a lot of evidence to shoe that it becomes less effective. Switching up your routine every so often is very beneficial.

bugjudy

Watch this for some inspiration.

http://youtu.be/aUaInS6HIGo

OSC_ESD

~ The more physically fit I become .... the less calories I burn. When I was heavier I could burn double the calories I do now ... walking or biking the exact same distance.

The difference now is ... my endurance. I have increased my speed / session / regimen to accommodate a bigger burn. I have to change things up on a constant basis to keep my body " guessing " what will happen today.

But in reality ... like the above mentioned ... a calorie consumed or burned is the same calorie regardless of how you look at it. Some days my work is very strenuous ... other days I have more down time ... none of that is factored into my " exercise ". But when I do exercise I use an HRM and I monitor my calories burned ... and yes, I burn " exercise " calories every day !

For some people just getting out of bed is a workout ... for others it might take a 5k for them to feel it ... but either way, at some point in their day they are burning calories .. the real question should be are they eating more than they burn ?

I don't believe a workout / exercise routine will ever get old .... just look at all the professional athletes.

Just an opinion from a fitness freak ! :flowerforyou:

bellygoaway

Well, I can only speak for me. I have a desk job, so I choose the lowest activity level here on mfp. So pretty much anything I do outside of my job duties I log. Walking at lunch - log. Mow the yard - log. pack a computer and walk it across campus to the shipping dept - don't log. Part of the answer would depend of the level of activity you select here on the site. I actually think I could choose a different fitness level, because of the amount of weight I have lost so far, but I late the level I am on, so I don't plan of changing it even if I am more active than I was a few months. Interesting question...

Nataliaho

Hello! This question is to all you FITNESS PEOPLE, BODY BUILDER'S out there. I should be able to answer this my self, and I have my own opinion, but..want to hear yours.

As an RN, I worked at a Disease Management company for Medical Insurance companies, My job was to call people and check the chronic illness disease status. I.E., a Diabetic, ask for last 3 days of blood sugar readings, and adjust diet/exercise if necessary. Sometimes, alert their MD.

\Now, for people who were OVERWEIGHT, OBESE, and MORBIDLY OBESE, we would counsel them on their diet and exercise.


I defined "exercise" as any physical activity a person does not do on a daily basis, and are ACTIVELY spending extra time on it.

I received a LOT of "feed-back"( from MEN, in particular..just sayin',) that they worked in big factories..did exercise everyday, walked a lot, etc.
I told them.."Hey, if this was exercise, and you were walking MILES everyday, wouldn't you be LOSING weight?"

Their answer."Ah..Ah.."

To me, the definition of exercise is something you do ABOVE AND BEYOND YOUR DAILY ROUTINE which physically exerts your body, raises your heart rate, causes you to sweat, and either you lose weight, build muscle or BOTH.

Now, to all you people who are already physically fit, and you log basically the same exercises week after week, when does it revert to just being your DAILY ROUTINE, and NOT count as exercise anymore?

Wouldn't you, in THEORY, have to keep adjusting your work out's more and more for it to count as EXERCISE?

RESPONSES PLS!!

Sorry, but I think your deinfition (if I understand it correctly) is flawed. By your definition anyone who has a consistent exercise routine, is at maintainence and isn't doing something designed to build muscle, they're not exercising. So basically any non-weightlifting athlete does no exercise by your definition, that makes no sense.

In my opinion exercise is any physical activity that a person performs for the sole purpose of gaining the health and fitness benefits of said activity. I don't count incidental activity as exercise from a descriptive point of view, however that is not to say it shouldn't be taken into consideration when looking at a person's overall health and wellbeing.

I think the key to this question is what are you trying to ascertain from the question? Ask specific questions, get specific answers, all patients are different.

mewaybright

As for when the exercise activity becomes a natural part of your daily regiment I am not sure but I constantly change my workout to keep my body from becoming efficient at the particular movements. I also give myself what I call a down week every 6 to 8 weeks which causes my body to lose its edge on my workout routine. I do feel that without constant change and evolution of your routine the body becomes more and more efficient at the movements and therefore burns less calories, although I believe as long as you break a sweat you are moving beyond the daily norm.

sfoster3171982

I have a physically demanding job and there are a lot of obese people. We are on our feet a lot and we are lifting etc. My point being if they changed their diet to a healthy balanced meals they would be skinnier. I believe it's the same with these men your talking about if they kept that physical activity and changed their diet they would see a difference. The only thing is in time it will change and they will have to eventually add weights and what not. My opinion

Snitch1

Hey: First, need to clarify something..THIS POST IS NOT ABOUT ME, PERSONALLY.
I know why I am fat.
Calories IN, DID NOT EQUAL calories BURNED.
But, Like all people on here, there is a story behind that.

I think that a few of you are MISUNDERSTANDING either the QUESTION or the MOTIVE for the QUESTION.

YES, I agree it is a question similar to the "does cleaning house count f you do it every day."
OR
People log sex as exercise-why? They do it everyday? (Well, some people do) :indifferent:

What I am asking is: If you are ALREADY in the HEALTHY range according to your BMI, or WHATEVER device, scale you use, and your physical activity, outside of work DOES NOT CHANGE, is it still considered exercise if you do it EVERYDAY?

Nataliaho

What I am asking is: If you are ALREADY in the HEALTHY range according to your BMI, or WHATEVER device, scale you use, and your physical activity, outside of work DOES NOT CHANGE, is it still considered exercise if you do it EVERYDAY?

I honestly can't see a situation where that would actually happen though. Say you have a runner, at goal weight, eating maintainence. In order to meet your definition, they would need to run exactly the same distance at exactly the same speed they ever did. I just don't think that's logical or likely. They would increase distance or speed or intensity, just as a matter of course, thus making it 'exercise' in your eyes. But even by some strange occurance that diod happen, why wouldn't it be exercise? They are still going to be raising their heartrate and burning some calories. It might not be as much as when they started, but it would still be some.

So my personal answer is YES, if a person goes for a run, lifts some weights, plays a game of sport etc they are exercising, regardless of their current weight, level of fitness or the regularity of said activity. I don't see how any other answer is logical.

Snitch1

Sorry, but I think your deinfition (if I understand it correctly) is flawed. By your definition anyone who has a consistent exercise routine, is at maintainence and isn't doing something designed to build muscle, they're not exercising. So basically any non-weightlifting athlete does no exercise by your definition, that makes no sense.
[/quote

^^^^^^^^^NO, I DID NOT SINGLE OUT ANYONE WHO WAS WEIGHTLIFTING/NOT WEIGHTLIFTING.

The question is clearly: IF your calorie intake is STABLE=NO fluctuation, your PHYSICAL ACTIVITY is STABLE=NO fluctuation, can you still log it as exercise WITHOUT making CONSTANT changes to your "Exercise routine."

Nataliaho

Sorry, but I think your deinfition (if I understand it correctly) is flawed. By your definition anyone who has a consistent exercise routine, is at maintainence and isn't doing something designed to build muscle, they're not exercising. So basically any non-weightlifting athlete does no exercise by your definition, that makes no sense.

^^^^^^^^^NO, I DID NOT SINGLE OUT ANYONE WHO WAS WEIGHTLIFTING/NOT WEIGHTLIFTING.

Apologies, but your original definition said that to be exercise you expect someone to be "either losing weight, gaining muscle or BOTH". I was trying to give you a single example of someone who was clearly exercising that would not fit your definition. i.e. someone who is not trying to lose weight and not trying to build muscle (you build muscle by liftin weights).

The question is clearly: IF your calorie intake is STABLE=NO fluctuation, your PHYSICAL ACTIVITY is STABLE=NO fluctuation, can you still log it as exercise WITHOUT making CONSTANT changes to your "Exercise routine."

My answer is yes.

Nataliaho

BTW, not sure if your YELLING at me on purpose, but I am not trying to argue with you. You came here asking for an opinion on your definition and belief. I disagree with it, there is no drama here...

honeysprinkles

......

airlily

You keep increasing your exercise exponentially until you DIE! Mwahahahaha!!! >:D

Pebble321

Hey: First, need to clarify something..THIS POST IS NOT ABOUT ME, PERSONALLY.
I know why I am fat.
Calories IN, DID NOT EQUAL calories BURNED.
But, Like all people on here, there is a story behind that.

I think that a few of you are MISUNDERSTANDING either the QUESTION or the MOTIVE for the QUESTION.

YES, I agree it is a question similar to the "does cleaning house count f you do it every day."
OR
People log sex as exercise-why? They do it everyday? (Well, some people do) :indifferent:

What I am asking is: If you are ALREADY in the HEALTHY range according to your BMI, or WHATEVER device, scale you use, and your physical activity, outside of work DOES NOT CHANGE, is it still considered exercise if you do it EVERYDAY?

Yes, I think almost everyone is here because calories in did not equal calories burned, one way or another. Just as the example you gave of people with a physically demanding job can still be overweight, its all about the numbers being out of balance.

In my opinion, exercise is exercise when you call it that, we're talking semantics here.
Walking for 1 hour a day might be exercise for one person but it might be regular daily activity for another, if that is how they do the shopping or get to work. It doesn't change the amount of calories burned because you call it by a different name.

To be specific, I think that if you are a healthy weight and you run (or lift or whatever) every day, yes that is exercise.
It's not going to stop being exercise just because you do it regularly. But, what will change is the amount of calories you burn if you run for the same distance at the same speed every day. As we get fitter our bodies work more efficiently and we will burn less calories doing the same activity/exercise.
But, that doesn't mean it isn't exercise!

ahealthy4u

Most call me an over achiever when it comes to working out. I work out 7 days a week and some of my classes are changed out every two weeks or every class time. If I don’t work out I feel guilty about it then I don’t feel good. I also revamp my work out schedule every so many weeks or months and throw other weight training in as well.
Monday classes are
Jazzercise
Aqua Aerobics with weights in the water
Tuesday Classes are
Jazzercise
Hydro Tone with weights in the water
Wednesday classes
Jazzercise (sometimes)
Aqua Aerobics with weights in the water
Thursday classes
Jazzercise
H.E.A.T./Body Attack
H.E.A.T. Wave (done in the water with weights)
Friday Classes
Turbo Kick
Nautical Noodles (water class)
Saturday Classes
Train for C5K
Jazzercise (sometimes)
Aqua Aerobics (with weights)
Yoga
Sunday Classes
I either go to the gym or train for C5k or I take Jazzercise classes, yoga or I work out at home.

sharpeoplepc

Exercise doesn't get easier, you just have to push yourself harder. For example, when you start running you may run a 12 minute mile but over time you get faster and suddenly you can run a 7 minute mile. If you are still running the same distance then it becomes easier but if you push yourself and run farther then it isn't easier. When you started out you ran 2 miles in 24 minutes, now you can run over 3 miles in 24 minutes.......get it? I have been a 6 day a week exerciser for 8 years. When I started out, I was walking 5 miles a day pushing a child in a stroller and getting a great workout. Today, I wouldn't consider that exercise (for me). I have since finished a half marathon (13.1 miles) in 1 hour and 48 minutes.

Exercise only becomes normal if you don't constantly "up your game"!

Snitch1

Exercise doesn't get easier, you just have to push yourself harder. For example, when you start running you may run a 12 minute mile but over time you get faster and suddenly you can run a 7 minute mile. If you are still running the same distance then it becomes easier but if you push yourself and run farther then it isn't easier. When you started out you ran 2 miles in 24 minutes, now you can run over 3 miles in 24 minutes.......get it? I have been a 6 day a week exerciser for 8 years. When I started out, I was walking 5 miles a day pushing a child in a stroller and getting a great workout. Today, I wouldn't consider that exercise (for me). I have since finished a half marathon (13.1 miles) in 1 hour and 48 minutes.

Exercise only becomes normal if you don't constantly "up your game"!

^^^I think this is the answer I feel best answers my question. Thank you^^^^^

Snitch1

To all the gracious, kind, knowledgeable MFP who took the time to help me work this out, I appreciate it.

Also @Nataliaho, So Sorry for the CAP's..Not mean't to be yelling..I know not socially acceptable..Once I get typing (And I look at my finger's the whole time), sometimes I forget,Sometimes too excited..I interrupt people speaking..how gracious..huh?sometimes, just honestly too lazy to go back and edit. Apologize for appearing to shout you out!
Pls Forgive?

madamepsychosis

What I am asking is: If you are ALREADY in the HEALTHY range according to your BMI, or WHATEVER device, scale you use, and your physical activity, outside of work DOES NOT CHANGE, is it still considered exercise if you do it EVERYDAY?

I honestly can't see a situation where that would actually happen though. Say you have a runner, at goal weight, eating maintainence. In order to meet your definition, they would need to run exactly the same distance at exactly the same speed they ever did. I just don't think that's logical or likely. They would increase distance or speed or intensity, just as a matter of course, thus making it 'exercise' in your eyes. But even by some strange occurance that diod happen, why wouldn't it be exercise? They are still going to be raising their heartrate and burning some calories. It might not be as much as when they started, but it would still be some.

So my personal answer is YES, if a person goes for a run, lifts some weights, plays a game of sport etc they are exercising, regardless of their current weight, level of fitness or the regularity of said activity. I don't see how any other answer is logical.

Exactly. I love to run and I'm in the healthy weight range for my height. I don't run at exactly the same pace, for exactly the same distance every single time I go for a run. I'm constantly trying to push myself. If things feel like they're getting easy for me, I add another mile onto my next run, or I might try working in a few sprint intervals. I believe this is true for most people who incorporate regular exercise into their lifestyle. I don't know many healthy people who are into exercise who do the same exact thing every time. They're constantly switching up their routine or altering it. It stops it getting stagnant and boring for one thing.

That said, if I did do the same routine everyday, it would STILL be exercise. Everything that requires physical effort is exercise in my opinion. Granted, if you pair it with a terrible diet, you're not going to reap the benefits, but doing something everyday doesn't mean it isn't exercise. By that logic, professional athletes aren't doing exercise.

mfpcopine

I can't say I've ever gotten to the point where exercise is second nature. I work out fairly regularly for a period and then there's a lull, because of my schedule, lack of access to a gym, an injury and so forth. Because I'm an irregular exerciser, I've always made sure to watch my weight once I got past the point where I could eat anything I wanted.

I believe that dedicated exercisers continue to challenge themselves. There's always a way to make an exercise harder. You change the duration, the intensity, or the technique.

I agree with your definition of exercise. Many people log activities that don't count. There's no way that they are burning sufficient calories to create a significant calorie deficit. But they're only fooling themselves, just like the folks who credit the unbelievable calorie burn estimates of some their devices.