Singing burns calories too!

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  • Frannybobs
    Frannybobs Posts: 741 Member
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    Again, to sink this point home for all you folks. THIS IS NOT EXERCISE. DO NOT LOG SINGING. SERIOUSLY...

    Why you ask? Calorie counters include your BMR. so vast majority of those calories you're seeing as burned from singing are actually burned from existing. Lets take a gander at a counter site and see.

    http://www.my-calorie-counter.com/Calories_Burned.asp

    160lbs person sitting = ~100cal/h
    160lbs person standing = ~131cal/h
    160lbs person sitting singing = ~110cal/h
    160lbs person standing singing = ~145cal/h

    TOTAL CALORIE BURN FROM SINGING: ~11-15 calories per hour

    So for the love of all that is holy, don't log anything more than a dozen calories/hour from singing if at all. you're seriously deluding yourself if you think you're actually expending a serious amount of calories....

    ^^^ This!! Love it.

    I play in a brass band and sing in a choir, but do not and do not intend to log any calories. It's not cardiovascular exercise worth logging at all - it might do some good for your breathing and core, but doesn't burn more calories than BMR enough to bother about!! Whilst we're at it, I don't log cleaning either, unless i have literally been running around for several hours like a whirling dervish. I only log proper exercise, I'm even dubious about logging strength exercise as I don't have a good measure of that, being as HRM isn't great for that, so I'm very conservative with that too.
  • Melody1162
    Melody1162 Posts: 1 Member
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    For you singing and playing music may not be the type of exercise to help you reach your weight loss goal but, for a person who is just beginning to understand the concepts of nutrition and exercise related health using this information for initial activity versus caloric intake gives initial hope that their goals can be accomplished. Have compassion for those not as knowledgeable as you. If we all obviously do not have your vast knowledge of basal metabolic rates or America would not be fat or need programs like this one
  • apriltrainer
    apriltrainer Posts: 732 Member
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    I do karaoke.. alot.

    Even at home(I am half filipino, it's in my blood!)

    maybe that's why my exercise routine was so successful. I do karaoke almost DAILY at home..lol
  • rkr22401
    rkr22401 Posts: 216 Member
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    Only log singing if it's done while running in formation wearing BDU's, combat boots, and a ruck sack. Just sayin'
  • apriltrainer
    apriltrainer Posts: 732 Member
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    Only log singing if it's done while running in formation wearing BDU's, combat boots, and a ruck sack. Just sayin'

    Hey..I used to do that.

    ;)

    prior military here!
  • Ruthe8
    Ruthe8 Posts: 423 Member
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    This thread saddens me. The amount of calories above BMR while singing can be measured in the dozens tops. Those 100+ calorie totals you're seeing INCLUDE your BMR. which is about 120-180 cal/hour.

    If you're seriously thinking of logging something like this I honestly don't know what to say aside from you're in serious denial about your activity level.
    My BMR is nowhere near 120 calories per hour.
  • Ruthe8
    Ruthe8 Posts: 423 Member
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    I've noticed that singing isn't registered under cardio like playing instruments is, which I don't think is fair! I play clarinet, but I work a hell of a lot harder when I'm singing than when I'm playing. I reckon I'm burning the equivalent of a woodwind player during my practice and rehearsal time. I had a 5 and a half hour rehearsal today and I worked damn hard!

    Anyone out there agree with me?

    :)
    Do you expect them to list every single activity in the world? Just add it yourself like everyone else.
  • sjeannot
    sjeannot Posts: 143
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    I ws saying the same thing. I sing in a band and was trying to figure out h ow to register it when I perform out with my band. They have all the other instruments that are played in the band listed. Both sitting and standing.

    Good point though, because the vocals are an instrument o when we sing we are playing an instrument. Should be listed.
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
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    It's probably listed between showering and drying your hair, no kidding, seen people logging both as exercise. Even sadder is if you log it and eat it.
  • amdarosa619
    amdarosa619 Posts: 98 Member
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    You guys are making me want to wear my HRM during my shows. I sweat my *kitten* off when I perform with cover bands for 4 hours straight, dancing around on stage n stuff.

    I agree that this is a bit of a stretch if you are just singing in your car, in the shower, or in the church choir...But I am interested to see the expenditure of one of my gigs, ha!
  • KittiesSong
    KittiesSong Posts: 33
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    I'd have to say that several hours of hardcore singing drills and difficult songs that make you sweat and pant for breath have to count for something here people... No maybe singing in your car doesn't count for much but dancing, clapping, and hand movements while singing have to count for something as well as the work involved in serious breath control and core stretching. Sorry to those who don't understand how hard a performing singer works. It alone can't do much but it is a core workout at the very least!
  • Alluminati
    Alluminati Posts: 6,208 Member
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    If it was something I did normally before counting calories and excercising on a regular basis then I DON'T count it. It would 've already been taken into account when I set my activity level (ie sedentary,lightly active, moderately active, etc).
  • Artaxia
    Artaxia Posts: 185
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    I'd be as skinny as a pencil if singing was included. I sing for no reason, every hour of the day.
  • legacysh
    legacysh Posts: 464
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    I sing in cover bands and I have worn my hrm to rehearsal and to gigs and it works out to be the same calories as the Music Playing -Guitar that is listed. So I took that and created my own to use. Since I am the lead singer, I break out a sweat on stage, constant movement and huge use of core muscles.

    I don't count any other singing, only rehearsals and performances because I know there is generally a focused attention to movement and breathing and power that take physical strength at those. I too sing almost non stop all day.
  • jeanncole
    jeanncole Posts: 1
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    If you think singing does not burn calories, obviously you have never been a singer. I have been in Sweet Adeline's, Quartets, Bands, and Church praise bands my whole life. And yes just standing in one spot singing along with everyone else may not burn a whole lot of calories. But performing is a whole different category. It takes a lot of energy to stand up in front of a crowd and get them motivated to stand and sign and dance with you. And most performers don't just stand there, they move around the stage, dance and move around. Have you ever been to a concert in your life. I have never seen a single performer walk off stage without a single drop of sweat on them, and it has nothing to do with the light. It has to do with the energy and calories burned. And to say playing an instrument counts but singing does not is ridiculous. Singing counts!!!
  • way2busy2
    way2busy2 Posts: 6 Member
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    Having just stood for six hours of rehearsal, including choreography, I'd say singing is exhausting!
  • Springfield1970
    Springfield1970 Posts: 1,945 Member
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    No it really doesn't burn anything worth logging I'm afraid to say!

    I am a personal vocal coach and sing more than 25 hours a week. I also coach bands.

    My maintenance rate without exercise is 1750 which puts me somewhere between sedentary and lightly active.

    It's that because I don't have a car, walk everywhere (not logged) carry my shopping home from the store, have a nine year old boy to go to park and play football with, have no sofa or tv, and am slightly manic and fidgety. Plus I don't sleep more than 6/7 hours, and am quite muscley.

    If I included my singing as a burn, my numbers would be too high and I would kiss any weightloss or clean bulk goodbye!
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    Again, to sink this point home for all you folks. THIS IS NOT EXERCISE. DO NOT LOG SINGING. SERIOUSLY...

    Why you ask? Calorie counters include your BMR. so vast majority of those calories you're seeing as burned from singing are actually burned from existing. Lets take a gander at a counter site and see.

    http://www.my-calorie-counter.com/Calories_Burned.asp

    160lbs person sitting = ~100cal/h
    160lbs person standing = ~131cal/h
    160lbs person sitting singing = ~110cal/h
    160lbs person standing singing = ~145cal/h

    TOTAL CALORIE BURN FROM SINGING: ~11-15 calories per hour

    So for the love of all that is holy, don't log anything more than a dozen calories/hour from singing if at all. you're seriously deluding yourself if you think you're actually expending a serious amount of calories....

    Worse than that.

    On MFP every hour of your day is already account for with an expected amount of calorie burn - which you are trying to eat less than.

    Your maintenance figure / 24 is already accounted for calorie burn.

    So actually subtract that larger figure from those estimates you found.

    This just shows how much people don't realize they are actually burning calories all the time, and just how much.
    When people stop and think, they'll see they burn far more calories in their sleeping metabolism all day then they burn in exercise for a day.
  • BigTireFlipper
    BigTireFlipper Posts: 116 Member
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    Wear a HRM while singing to get the count. I'd do it, but I don't sing...unless I'm drunk karaoke-ing. Lol.

    Respectfully disagree. A HRM is designed to show the number of calories burned under the assumption that multiple muscle groups are involved in the activity. (Cardio). This is the reason that the can't reliably track non-cardio activity like weight lifting or singing is because those activities are expending energy using an isolated muscle group vs multiple groupings.

    Let's not all get carried away with what to log for burns here. Where does it end? Did you set your profile as sedentary or active? If you set it sedentary then I suppose you could subtract the difference between calories burned standing vs calories burned sitting and use that delta. If you set it active then it's already accounted for. In the end you have to ask yourself "was my activity really any different "energy wise" then what I normally due during the day anyway?
  • BigTireFlipper
    BigTireFlipper Posts: 116 Member
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    Again, to sink this point home for all you folks. THIS IS NOT EXERCISE. DO NOT LOG SINGING. SERIOUSLY...

    Why you ask? Calorie counters include your BMR. so vast majority of those calories you're seeing as burned from singing are actually burned from existing. Lets take a gander at a counter site and see.

    I didn't see your post. +1 for you. :happy:

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