I'm a Nurse!

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sholcomb64
sholcomb64 Posts: 1
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi, my name is Susan. I'm a nurse and am on my feet for at least 13 and half hours a day. I wear a pedometer to work that records my steps and calories burned. Since this is all day and I usually get 5 to 6 miles or more could I count the calories burned as exercise? In the activity level I did pick nurse but I don't think they got it right. Any suggestions would be grand. Thanks!

Replies

  • monkeefun
    monkeefun Posts: 271 Member
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    I'm also a nurse :-), and for me personally I don't count work as work out. I've heard other people say it shouldn't count if it's something you do anyway, and for me, that's how I view work. I also find that the best way for me to get activity in is higher intensity cardio - walking could count, but only if it's faster and gets my heart pumping heavily for periods of time. I definitely am on my feet all the time at work (just recently finished a twelve-hour shift schedule), but I just didn't see it giving me the burn I need to lose weight, even with watching what I ate and whatnot.
  • wcasie
    wcasie Posts: 299 Member
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    i would not. i am also a nurse, but those miles you walk at work don't really count as extra exercise because your body is used to it. exercise is anything above and beyond your normal activity
  • iliveintheshire
    iliveintheshire Posts: 76
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    Since you're heart rate isn't up and staying up for a long period of time, ie 30-90 minutes of your heart rate being 140+ BPM as it would when you are on an ellipitcal (I'm sure there are days where it is, but you know what I mean), then I would not count it as a "workout" but you are more ACTIVE then other people, which is good, you are being set up to getting in a better workout outside of work... I wouldn't necessarily make a caloric compensation because of it, though. you know?

    I am going into nursing school and work on my feet in the medical field right now too. I'm a medical scribe right now. Add me as a friend if you want!
  • CharlieOverby
    CharlieOverby Posts: 82 Member
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    I would count it. Five miles is five miles. Your body doesn't know if it is work or exercise.
  • ashleyh3156
    ashleyh3156 Posts: 177 Member
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    Nurse here as well, def do not count work as a workout. Yes we are on our feet all day but does the heart rate get up enough to count? I don't believe so. Good luck on your journey! I try to work out everyday 30-45 cardio, recently have played with lifting but haven't counted it yet.
  • himilayaneyes
    himilayaneyes Posts: 204 Member
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    Also a nurse here. I don't count it as exercise since it's part of my normal workday. However when I have to push a bed with a patient across the hospital I count it. I don't consider that a normal part of my job.
  • tamaranash
    tamaranash Posts: 37 Member
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    I was an ER/urgent care nurse, and recently left the bedside to be a nurse manager/mentor. I can honestly say, don't count it. It was apart of my "routine" as soon as I started a desk job, without changing my diet, I began to gain. I am on my way back down, but truly, its not a good idea to count it. I had no idea what an impact just changing my work would have. I slowly slipped up, and here I am. I am relieved I will be able to go out and work as a nurse in the coming months as I have missed it, and obviously my body has missed it as well! I only count as an earlier poster stated the heart pumping. I wear a heart rate monitor, and use outside calculators based my weight and fitness level to know how many calories I am burning. This is working really well, the weight is starting to come off!
  • stumblinthrulife
    stumblinthrulife Posts: 2,558 Member
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    You have two choices -

    1. Class yourself as sedentary, and then add all the walked miles as exercise.
    2. Class yourself as active, and don't add all the walked miles since they are factored into an active lifestyle.

    If you have a fitbit, or other pedometer that can sync with MFP, I would choose option 1, and allow the pedometer to adjust your calorie allowance upwards. That's what I do, and that way if I happen to have a day of virtually no activity, I already know that MFP will give me the correct number of calories.

    Definitely do not put yourself as sedentary and then not count the walking. You'd end up with way too few calories. They need to be factored into your day somehow.

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