Cleaning Stalls, Calories? Strength or Cardiovascular?

I've mucked stalls. I would definitely say to put it as something higher than a "slow walk"... although, I also prefer to underestimate calories burned than overestimate...

I don't count being a normal human being as a work out.

I don't count being a normal human being as a work out.

It depends on how you set your base activity. If you use sedentary for your base calories, then something like this is a workout. If you have an active base, then not so much.

I would log it as gardening

I don't count being a normal human being as a work out.

As harsh as that may sound, I agree.

This...

Well, it's all relative. I muck 7-10 stalls in two hours, give or take. I've got a BodyMedia FIT and comparing a day where I do stalls compared to one I don't, I burn about 500 more calories, at my weight. Before I got my BMF and was logging on here I just had my activity level set as active to account for that, as for me it was pretty much a daily activity. If yours is set at sendentary, and you are just starting this activity, then I would log it, personally.

This site might help, noting that these figures are for a 150lb, 5'8 human:

http://www.equisearch.com/horses_riding_training/training/general/countingcalories_122006/

I'd like some of you normal human beings to come muck stalls at my place for a couple of weeks. :flowerforyou: Then tell me you don't burn calories. Want great-looking arms? Do barn work! :happy:

Gardening is a good place to start. After becoming familiar with the energy output of various MFP listed exercises, I was able to equate my daily farm activities (being on the business end of shovels, rakes, wheel barrows, trudging thru mud carrying hay, handling livestock of all sorts -my own and clients- etc), to those "cals per hour" and created my own exercise called "Assorted Farm Chores". Gave me a clearer picture of my activity instead of calling it something it's not....

As for those who don't agree to counting regular activities as exercise, it all depends on how you've identified your personal activity level.....

I don't count being a normal human being as a work out.

How many normal human beings do you know who regularly shovel horse poop?

Agree with the suggestion for gardening/yard work.

^^This.

If mucking stalls is not a daily activity for you then absolutely count it. I've mucked since I was 10 years old and it most definitely is a work out if you're "mucking" properly. Really not sure where the "normal human being" comment came from . . . kinda unnecessary.

Well riding horses isn't exercise either, dontcha know? The horse does all the work, right? :flowerforyou: (please forgive my sarcasm!)

I don't count being a normal human being as a work out.

It depends on how you set your base activity. If you use sedentary for your base calories, then something like this is a workout. If you have an active base, then not so much.

I would log it as gardening

it might make you feel better about yourself, but biologically this is not true. Sitting on your *kitten*, much like walking a slow walk, doing basic cleaning, typing up this post, or doing ANYTHING thats not part of your daily activity thats low impact are NOT exercise. Your body has energy systems based upon the activity you do. Things like living life basically use your fatty acid energy system to make energy. Takes care of the basics, but is NOT exercise to your body.

What is exercise to your body is getting the heart rate up and using your cardiovacular energy system to power the muscles.

TLDR: low impact activities that use your fatty acid energy system ARE NOT exercise

higher impact activities that use your cardiovascular energy system ARE exercise.

Just cause you feel better about yourself for doing something out of the ordinary for you, does NOT mean you're actually doing something useful like exercise. sorry, life is cruel.

I don't know if I'd count it, honestly, and if you do, underestimate your calories. I see people on here trying to scrap whatever extra calories they can by cleaning the house and whatever. Let the normal chores be an extra bonus for you at the end if it aids in losing weight because that's such a hard one to call on calories. I even see on here when someone goes dancing they put in the whole 4 hours they were out, when half that time they were probably sitting. Remember that as well. Don't try to scrape up those extra calories if you can help it- it will be worth it in the long run to just count your workouts because I see it's not working for those people who scrape up those extra cals. This week I moved 2 people from one apt to another in 2 days- that was the biggest workout I got in forever (running up and down 3 flights of stairs for 4 hours), but I didn't count it because there is not a good way to tell how much I was actually burning.

- btw, I've done farm work before, and I know it's a great workout, I just don't know if one can accurately count it on this website without it overeastimating. Maybe raise your activity level.