Calories burnt self propelling wheelchair

Does anyone out there have any idea of either how many calories are burnt self propelling ina wheelchair or what it is equivalent to? I am sure that in a shopping centre with a nice smooth floor it isn't that many but over carpets, or outside it is exhausting so must burn a few. Any help appreciated on this. Have checked database here & WW BTW love the entry for jogging pushing wheelchair my carer will be chuffed at how many calories he could be burning if he jogged pushing me!!!

Replies

  • MisdemeanorM
    MisdemeanorM Posts: 3,493 Member
    good question. Maybe you should get a heart rate monitor?
  • grumpya
    grumpya Posts: 54 Member
    Thats a good idea I have one but it is in one of my handbags. Trouble is I am to handbags what Imelda Marcos was to shoes!LOL
  • HisangelG
    HisangelG Posts: 96 Member
    According to Veterans Affair, 60-80 calories for every 10 minutes. Propelling self

    Pushing someone else for 10 minutes is 102 calories burned
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    If you are confined to a wheelchair and you use it daily as your mode of transportation (such as walking would be to me) then it would be part of your daily activity level (TDEE).
  • ecw3780
    ecw3780 Posts: 608 Member
    If you are confined to a wheelchair and you use it daily as your mode of transportation (such as walking would be to me) then it would be part of your daily activity level (TDEE).

    this. just like if you have a job where you lift heavy objects it is your daily activity- not extra exercise. However, if you have your diary set to sedentary, you might be earning more calories than you are given.
  • I just looked it up for myself. 2km an hour flat surface, 120 calories in 30 mins.
  • Peachy1962
    Peachy1962 Posts: 269 Member
    We need to have a listing in the exercises to be able to add in our wheelchair burn as it has listed for pushing a wheelchair!!!


    Is there anyway we can add that to our list of regular exercise?????
  • Peachy1962
    Peachy1962 Posts: 269 Member
    Ok I figured it out then!!! add an exercise to data base: Type in Self propelled wheelchair and add to the data base then I put in 30 mins for 120 calories burned!

    I have been adding WAY too many calories logging it under pushing a wheelchair and that means I have been over on calories many a day!:frown:

    Oh Well as they say...................... Live and Learn!! :happy:
  • MisdemeanorM
    MisdemeanorM Posts: 3,493 Member
    If you propel it often throughout the day every day, you could just change your base settings to moderately active or active and it will simply give you more calories to start with, instead of logging individual timeframes. But, if you have a motorized you use often and the manual sometimes, I wouldn't "blanket log" like this, but rather do what you said in the last post.
  • Himreru
    Himreru Posts: 1 Member
    Use one of the apps. I found that Endomondo has a wheelchair section, that seems good enough. And I don't agree with changing the baseline, unless you just use it at the same speed all the time. I have timed myself and sometimes I take about 10-12 min per km and sometimes about 7 min. It is just like walking and running. But I have to specify that I calculate my calories as a sedentary person, even though I'm not, because if I use the moderately active caloric needs for someone my size I can maintain my weight but not lose any.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    it should be part of your activity level, not exercise.
  • Vune
    Vune Posts: 674 Member
    Just like someone who uses their legs for both daily activity and exercise, I've met manual wheelchair users who "practice" climbing hills. That specific use is exercise, while running errands and moving around at work would be activity.
  • shor0814
    shor0814 Posts: 559 Member
    I don't understand the answers about logging it as daily activity. I get that most of it is daily activity but when she goes out for extra activity (out for a roll???) she would log it the same way anyone else would log taking a walk.

    I have no idea how accurate 60-80 cal/10 minutes is but maybe start there and see how you progress.
  • kizann712
    kizann712 Posts: 1 Member
    It is approximately 120 cal per 30 minutes on a flat surface for those of us actually propelling ourselves. It's a whole different story if you need to know how many cal a person is burning if they are pushing us in our wheelchair because it depends on the weight of the person in the wheelchair and the weight of the wheelchair itself. Been rolling ♿️ for a long time :)