Does Driving Actually Burn Calories?

staps065
staps065 Posts: 837 Member
edited November 12 in Health and Weight Loss
I've seen where people have added calories burned from driving and it is even in the Cardiovascular Exercise database. Do you really burn calories driving? I have a long day trip tomorrow (about 7 hours to destination) and wonder if I'll actually burn while driving. Opinions? Fact? Fiction?

Thanks!
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Replies

  • 2013sk
    2013sk Posts: 1,318 Member
    Never heard of burning calories while driving!!!!!!!!!
  • jetlag
    jetlag Posts: 800 Member
    Well, yes, because you burn calories every minute of every day. EVERYTHING burns calories.

    I suspect that driving doesn't burn many more calories than sitting down, however, especially if you drive an automatic, so I wouldn't be inclined to log it.
  • stefjc
    stefjc Posts: 484 Member
    Anything you do 'burns calories'. Think about sitting down, sleeping etc, your body needs some energy to keep you alive.

    Driving requires a couple of kcals more than sitting down as you move a little bit more, turning the steering wheel, flexing/extending your feet - hey you could call that weight training as the pedals provide a little bit of resistance, changing gear, steering too :)

    But I would ask anyone thinking about measuring those kcals why as I would assume that they may be focussing on them a little bit too much than is helpful.

    I do much the same with scales. I am still quite fascinated with the daily/weekly bounce. But I only record once or twice a month. I am just interested, not hung up on it.

    Having said that, I had a client who did record ironing, chopping veg, driving etc. She had been couchbound for about a year, so absolutely any movement whatsoever was a bonus, raised her metabolic rate and was, for her, endlessly interesting (she started at 40stone and is now 22stone and doesn't track quite as much :) )



    (I just read that back. I am guessing it would be really easy to guess what I do for a living..... sorry. I sound sooooooooooooo very, very teachery)
  • SmartAlec03211988
    SmartAlec03211988 Posts: 1,896 Member
    I don't drive much, but on days I do my BodyMedia does register a TINY bump than normal. Maybe 10-20 calories for an hour.
  • mcibty
    mcibty Posts: 1,252 Member
    Wow, really?

    I'm totally adding my calorie burn from breathing!
  • beachlover317
    beachlover317 Posts: 2,848 Member
    No. You are only burning what you normally would sitting. Maybe a little more because you hanging onto the steering wheel. But to me? This is NOT exercise.
  • Frood42
    Frood42 Posts: 245 Member
    Part of your daily activities multiplication factor that MFP uses I would say.


    If you have a manual and drive some distance in stop and start traffic then you may burn some additional calories by having to change gears and depress the pedals, but not that much.

    7 hours will be quite some time in the car, but it would be similar to me sat at my desk working on my laptop in the office.

    I would not add driving as an additional exercise in my exercise diary.


    What I would add into my exercise diary is my 200 mile a week commute on bicycle into work.

    .
  • Pamela_in_Progress
    Pamela_in_Progress Posts: 197 Member
    Could it be driving, as in the driving range? Golf?
  • Sonj1973
    Sonj1973 Posts: 188 Member
    Hi there, I know it's seems ridiculous does'nt it, but every thing your body does requires energy to perform whether it be reading, studying, driving sitting and breathing in fact!! There is other sites that break it down for you but whether they are accurate is another thing.... According to the site you burn 560 calories just sleeping for an 8 hr period... again how accurate I'm not sure)However this obviously ties in with your BMR that has already been calculated for you on the outset...
    As for logging anything, If it's somthing you do on a daily basis then you can assume it's accounted for in your daily BMR, anything additional to this I suppose you could log it! Your call :)

    Ps have a nice time :D
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    I wouldn't count it. I would assume that it's part of activity level. If your activity setting is correct then I wouldn't add in anything that is part of your daily activity.
  • ekz13
    ekz13 Posts: 725 Member
    I don't drive much, but on days I do my BodyMedia does register a TINY bump than normal. Maybe 10-20 calories for an hour.


    that's just from the roadrage :devil: :bigsmile:
  • BrainyBurro
    BrainyBurro Posts: 6,129 Member
    I've seen where people have added calories burned from driving and it is even in the Cardiovascular Exercise database. Do you really burn calories driving? I have a long day trip tomorrow (about 7 hours to destination) and wonder if I'll actually burn while driving. Opinions? Fact? Fiction?

    Thanks!

    you burn calories every minute of every day. if you want to log 7 hours of driving, then you'll have to also subtract that from your BMR so that you don't double-count them.

    people log all sorts of silly things on this site. i generally don't comment, even though i think they are fooling themselves. the reason i don't comment is that for some folks, logging is motivation and if they want to count their showering and teeth brushing calories, so be it. they won't see them reflected on the scale at the end of the month, but maybe on those days where they couldn't do any actual exercise, logging 30 minutes of emptying the dishwasher makes them feel like they still did something that day.
  • staps065
    staps065 Posts: 837 Member
    I thought it sounded silly but I've seen it in the database and I doubt we have too many NASCAR or Formula 1 race car drivers on MFP, but hey, I had to ask! :ohwell: I guess I'll just move my workout to the PM after I arrive at the resort! Cheers! :drinker:
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,474 Member
    funny.you driving while having sex?
  • Greenrun99
    Greenrun99 Posts: 2,065 Member
    you really gotta get those dance moves going while driving to burn some calories..
  • fjrandol
    fjrandol Posts: 437 Member
    maybe if it's this car

    Flintstones.jpg
  • Minerva624
    Minerva624 Posts: 577 Member
    300px-Paris_Tuileries_Garden_Facepalm_statue.jpg
  • jdm_taco
    jdm_taco Posts: 999 Member
    lol @ people that track that
  • brynnsmom
    brynnsmom Posts: 945 Member
    Do you really burn calories driving?

    Depends on how bad the traffic is, and how many times I've had to honk and give someone the bird.
  • JenSD6
    JenSD6 Posts: 454 Member
    Accelerate, break, shift up, shift down, break, honk, accelerate, give finger, break hard, yell out window, brake, shift... Ahhhh rush hour... gets the old ticker pumping.
  • CallMeCupcakeDammit
    CallMeCupcakeDammit Posts: 9,377 Member
    Only if it's one of these

    graphics-flintstones-720165.gif
  • CallMeCupcakeDammit
    CallMeCupcakeDammit Posts: 9,377 Member
    maybe if it's this car

    Flintstones.jpg

    Doggone it! I read all the way through, and I missed this! I actually made a comment about driving a Flintstone's car to a friend who posted her burn for "driving". She didn't even delete me! :bigsmile:
  • bert16
    bert16 Posts: 726 Member
    maybe if it's this car

    Flintstones.jpg

    ROTFL :laugh:
  • Caelrr
    Caelrr Posts: 26
    Everything burns calories!! Did you know being cold burns more calories than staying warm? Try taking cold showers or falling asleep being a little cold. When your body has to work to keep it's temperature up it burns more calories. Not something I'd be willing to do, but I was curious one day & looked it up. (: Getting enough sleep is good for your metabolism... try to get enough sleep each night & eat right during the day!! Anyways, I wouldn't say driving burns enough calories to really matter. It's better than just sitting on the couch watching television, though!!
  • TrailRunner61
    TrailRunner61 Posts: 2,505 Member
    Yeah. I wore my HRM while driving, out of curiosity. I think that due to a heightened awareness of surroundings and trying to be on top of things keeps your heart rate up higher than just sitting at home. Mine was higher anyway. I suppose if you suffered from road rage it would be even higher. haha My 'normal' heart rate is 60, driving it's in the 90's and I 'feel' calm! Driving thru Fklanta or La traffic would probably put it in the 110's lol.
    Also, my husband drives heavy equipment, sometimes for 16 hours in a row. The bumping, bouncing, looking behind him, etc., all day, burns more than while he's sitting.
  • CallMeCupcakeDammit
    CallMeCupcakeDammit Posts: 9,377 Member
    Could it be driving, as in the driving range? Golf?

    They have "Golf, using power cart" in the database. Maybe I don't understand golf, but it doesn't seem like there's a lot of work involved in driving a cart.
  • TigerBite
    TigerBite Posts: 611 Member
    That's like me logging the calories I burned typing this response ... LoLz! Some people are ridiculous, I doubt they are going to be susessful doing that.
  • favhrnstr
    favhrnstr Posts: 55
    Could it be driving, as in the driving range? Golf?

    They have "Golf, using power cart" in the database. Maybe I don't understand golf, but it doesn't seem like there's a lot of work involved in driving a cart.

    This is to distinguish it from using a push-cart for your clubs or carrying your clubs (where you average 6-7 miles in 18 holes). Even if you use a golf cart, there's still swinging the club and a fair bit of walking.
  • CallMeCupcakeDammit
    CallMeCupcakeDammit Posts: 9,377 Member
    Could it be driving, as in the driving range? Golf?

    They have "Golf, using power cart" in the database. Maybe I don't understand golf, but it doesn't seem like there's a lot of work involved in driving a cart.

    This is to distinguish it from using a push-cart for your clubs or carrying your clubs (where you average 6-7 miles in 18 holes). Even if you use a golf cart, there's still swinging the club and a fair bit of walking.

    Thanks for the explanation. :smile:
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