Walking worth adding?

marisbowen
marisbowen Posts: 15
edited February 5 in Health and Weight Loss
I volunteered today at Susan G Koman Race for the cure. I did a lot of walking, mostly regular pace for close to 3 hours. Its a lot more walking I do than in a normal day. I'm torn between adding it or not. Yes it's more walking than on normal days, but its not much in the way of burning calories and my heart rate wasn't elavated. Was it true exercise?

Yes my feet hurt but it doesn't feel like exercise. Should I add it anyway because I was moving.

I guess I hesitate because I don't want it upping my calorie intake for the day when I didn't feel like I exercised.

Silly but still...what do you think?

Replies

  • Jericha1992
    Jericha1992 Posts: 80 Member
    I would definitely add it. Even if it didn't FEEL like exercise, it was activity beyond your normal lifestyle. It probably won't add many calories... and keep in mind that MFP usually overestimates the calories burned. However, you did it, and I think you should own it! :)
  • laursoar
    laursoar Posts: 131 Member
    It's a personal choice what you add. Some people even add chores like washing dishes. Ultimately, do what you feel is right. One way or another, if you want to eat like a hundred or so calories extra today, go for it. I'd say it's a very safe bet that such an amount would fall into "eating exercise calories" back range.
  • Hannah_Hopes
    Hannah_Hopes Posts: 273 Member
    I always add walking that I don't normally do - you don't have to eat it all back remember :smile:
  • Love4fitnesslove4food2
    Love4fitnesslove4food2 Posts: 711 Member
    I walked for ~3 hours today and logged all of it! It's exercise and I have my activity level as sedentary so I'd be drastically underestimating my calorie burn if I didn't include it.
  • farway
    farway Posts: 1,251 Member
    I add the walking, but do not always eat calories back, bit of a win win IMO, but the walking is burning calories, you do not have to get all sweaty to burn calories, it all counts
  • rhye
    rhye Posts: 104 Member
    This is why I wear a pedometer all the time everywhere. I know what my average steps is and if I go way above them, then I count that excess. My average is used to count my activity level and how many calories I eat, but anything massively above average should be considered exercise, yes. Likewise on massively lazy days you need to at least get to that average or else cut some calories.
  • Seesawboomerang
    Seesawboomerang Posts: 296 Member
    If you do it daily, don't add. If it's unusual, add it and eat more.
  • CaptainAmerica1970
    CaptainAmerica1970 Posts: 435
    Were you using muscles? Were you burning calories ? Were using energy?
  • PrettyPearl88
    PrettyPearl88 Posts: 368 Member
    I volunteered today at Susan G Koman Race for the cure. I did a lot of walking, mostly regular pace for close to 3 hours. Its a lot more walking I do than in a normal day. I'm torn between adding it or not. Yes it's more walking than on normal days, but its not much in the way of burning calories and my heart rate wasn't elavated. Was it true exercise?

    Yes my feet hurt but it doesn't feel like exercise. Should I add it anyway because I was moving.

    I guess I hesitate because I don't want it upping my calorie intake for the day when I didn't feel like I exercised.

    Silly but still...what do you think?

    Add it! Don't sell yourself short!

    Getting fit and healthy is all about building new habits and one of those habits is living an active lifestyle. Exercise is an important part of an active lifestyle, but "exercise" doesn't always have to be killing yourself on the elliptical for an hour. Your exercise can be light and even fun a couple times a week: a light walk, or a casual game of tennis or beach volleyball with some friends!
  • CaptainAmerica1970
    CaptainAmerica1970 Posts: 435
    If you were a car and you drove that far would you be able to go that same distance with no fuel?
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
    That depends...was there a duvet or quilt involved?
  • twinketta
    twinketta Posts: 2,130 Member
    That depends...was there a duvet or quilt involved?

    rofl :laugh:
  • Love4fitnesslove4food2
    Love4fitnesslove4food2 Posts: 711 Member
    If you were a car and you drove that far would you be able to go that same distance with no fuel?

    If I were a car and I had no fuel I wouldn't be able to go ANY DISTANCE but I do love your analogy!
  • xmysterix
    xmysterix Posts: 114 Member
    I generally add anything out of my "old normal" or of unusual effort. Like, I don't add vacuuming the house or walking for an hour at the store because I always did those things and they're normal. I do add when I spend a day scrubbing down the entire veranda with brooms and on hands-and-knees and climbing ladders. I don't add watering the garden but do add 3 hrs digging up a new veggie patch. I may or may not "eat it back" but it's mostly so I can see how much more active I'm being than I was before. It's good encouragement, for me.
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
    Walking for three hours is not insignificant. You could have walked over 9 miles in that time! So add it and eat the calories.

    Also, even if it were normal for you, you would need to record it if you we're set to sedentary.
  • twinketta
    twinketta Posts: 2,130 Member
    I volunteered today at Susan G Koman Race for the cure. I did a lot of walking, mostly regular pace for close to 3 hours. Its a lot more walking I do than in a normal day. I'm torn between adding it or not. Yes it's more walking than on normal days, but its not much in the way of burning calories and my heart rate wasn't elavated. Was it true exercise?

    Yes my feet hurt but it doesn't feel like exercise. Should I add it anyway because I was moving.

    I guess I hesitate because I don't want it upping my calorie intake for the day when I didn't feel like I exercised.

    Silly but still...what do you think?

    In all seriousness, well done to you for volunteering for a good cause x

    I would certainly put that walk down in your exercise...3 hours walking is a good exercise workout. If you don`t want to eat the cals back then don`t.

    But well done again :smile:
  • marisbowen
    marisbowen Posts: 15
    Thank you everyone for the responses.

    It is energy used and more than on a normal day.

    I guess becuase I wasn't sweating up my normal storm and my heart wasn't pounding it didn't feel like exercise.

    I appreciate all the replies!!

    XOXO
  • blgmw2
    blgmw2 Posts: 171 Member
    Log it and then think about getting a Fitbit. It works great for these kind of days. Good Luck!
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Walking can easily make a difference of 400-500 calories a day. Definitely worth logging.
  • TDiaz214
    TDiaz214 Posts: 108 Member
    Walking does alot , it works nearly everything and burns quite a fair amount.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories