Need help logging this exercise

KyliAnne26

I'm a student and am generally pretty sedentary (other than my scheduled workouts) so I'm programmed into MFP as such. However, at my internship, I spend two days a week canvassing door-to-door for about 5-6 hours at a time while carrying about 20-25 lb of gear. My heart rate occasional gets up if I'm climbing a hill or stairs, but for the most part it's just tons of walking at a medium-slow pace, stopping at a door, then walking some more. Am I allowed to log this? If so, how should I go about doing so?

Mustang_Susie

You could log it as walking at 3.0 mph for an hour or two to average it out.

onwarddownward

I would log it as walking slow for about 80% of your total and then a separate entry for walking vigorously with a pack, the remaining 20percent, or whatever percentiles seem accurate to you.

grdaze

I don't think you are "sedentary" at all. You exercise, you move, you walk. I'll call you "lightly active" without knowing anything about your workouts.

Your internship ... I would log that as walking and choose a slow pace, like the 2.5 (leisurely) walk. Even though you are carrying things, stopping and starting ... it's enough of a workout that I would want to see it there just to see how it affects your journey, if nothing else.

rschreiber

When I was looking around at calorie logging sites, I think Sparkpeople had a really specific exercise database. You may check there for ideas...

Paganrosemama

there is -walking carrying 15 lb load or infant - in the data base which might work for you...

KyliAnne26

Great, thank you guys! I just estimated for tonight, but tomorrow I'm going to try to wear my heart rate monitor while canvassing - we'll see if that's helpful!

Mustang_Susie

A pedometer might also be an idea for you in addition to the HRM