Dog Walks

ttyler13

I take my dog on 3 to 5 walks a day. Some of them half a mile and some 2 - 4 miles. I have been using an app to track how far I walk that automatically links to MFP but I am wondering if I should be counting that as exercise (especially the little quick half mile walks). I know I'm not talking about a lot of calories being burned or anything but should I keep exercise or cardio limited to when I am actually doing a workout and just count the walking as regular daily movement/calories burned? I do sit at a desk almost all day so not too much movement throughout the day.

Thanks.

LoosingMyLast15

3-5 walks a DAY! i need you to walk my dogs. lol. if walking my dogs is the only exercise i do for the day i count it as exercise (i run for exercise). if you're walking your dog 2-4 miles in one walk i would count it as exercise. personally i would not count the .5 mile walks (unless you are fast pace walking or almost jogging then i would count that). i sit at a desk all day as well.

CEHayes73

I think you could do it one of two ways - 1) set your activity level as sedentary and count all of your walks, or 2) set you activity level for moderate and only count the long ones. I would think it would even out whichever way you did it. How MFP reads it is kind of beside the point, the great thing is you're getting out there!

debloves2ride

I agree - i wouldn't count the .5 miles unless it was a jog or something similar. I also sit at a desk and walk 1 mile twice a day on break time. I count that.

ttyler13

Thanks everyone. I was kind of thinking the same thing about the short walks not counting them but if going out on a longer walk to count that.
I'll go verify what I have my activity level at as well.

Thanks again!

vnakkar

I only count the longer ones, not the short breaks.

My 1.5 mile walks take 30 minutes and I punch them in for 100 calories. Its a set route, so it works for me.