Counting driving as exercise?

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  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
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    I once burned 2600 calories on a 12 hour round trip, according to MFP.

    No, I did not compensate for those calories.
  • Bobbiezilla
    Bobbiezilla Posts: 157 Member
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    Nope. Everything we do in a day really burns calories to some degree....but I would only log exercise . Going for a long walk, hike, bike, swim, run body weight exercises, yoga, videos etc. Once in a while I might log gardening if it's out of the ordinary intense sweaty business... Shovelling and hauling dirt to make a new bed, or racing to beat my time with the push mower ;-)
    I don't think that 400 cal burn is accurate for sitting in a car for 2 hours, I only burn a third of that in a half hour jog, if I would have burned 400 sitting I don't think I would have been overweight in the first place :) lol
  • MFPMol
    MFPMol Posts: 151 Member
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    I know that driving does burn some calories, at least moreso than sitting. I'm not talking about your daily drive from home to the store/work, but if you are going on a trip and are driving for several hours, would you factor those burned calories into your exercise? Driving 2.5 hours is said to burn around 400 cals.

    Are you going to count typing this post as exercise?
  • nilbogger
    nilbogger Posts: 870 Member
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    Would you count sitting in a chair and occasionally moving your feet and arms?
  • Veil5577
    Veil5577 Posts: 868 Member
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    I really wouldn't either. Driving doesn't get my heart rate up unless I'm yelling at other drivers, and that's stress, not exercise. :tongue:


    Hahahahahahaha.....do I smell road rage?

    Wellllllllllll maybe a little. I don't have much patience.
  • ValeriePlz
    ValeriePlz Posts: 517 Member
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    No, and I do not count knitting either!
  • veggieshark
    veggieshark Posts: 153 Member
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    I didn't find my question laughable. We're all fed mixed information when researching weight-loss and I was actually shown a website with a list of arbitrary tasks and how many calories they burned. I also thought it seemed silly to count the exercise, thus my inquiry.
  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
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    I know that driving does burn some calories, at least moreso than sitting. I'm not talking about your daily drive from home to the store/work, but if you are going on a trip and are driving for several hours, would you factor those burned calories into your exercise? Driving 2.5 hours is said to burn around 400 cals.

    I would not.
  • mamaleftwich
    mamaleftwich Posts: 256 Member
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    Not....
  • cheripugh1
    cheripugh1 Posts: 357 Member
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    Right and chocolate cake has zero calories! Absolutely would NOT count it!
  • MystiiG
    MystiiG Posts: 9
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    No. Just no. Its like saying that I should count reading as cardio because occasionally I turn a page.

    LMAO! I'd get a lot of cardio calories burned then since I read a lot :)
  • benaddict
    benaddict Posts: 1,381 Member
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    I don't count anything as exercise unless it is done specifically for the purpose of exercising. If it's something I would be doing anyway (cleaning, playing with my niece, cooking, driving, etc) it's not exercise. Walking around the block in the evening, going to the gym, jogging, hiking, workout videos, those count for me.
  • serindipte
    serindipte Posts: 1,557 Member
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    I'd have never thought of it, but:
    Estimated Energy Burned
    for a 160.0 lb person
    5 Minutes 10 calories
    10 Minutes 20 calories
    15 Minutes 30 calories
    30 Minutes 61 calories
    1 Hour 122 calories
    2 Hours 244 calories
    3 Hours 366 calories
    4 Hours 488 calories

    http://www.fatsecret.com/fitness/driving

    That said, no, I wouldn't count it.

    ETA:

    The calorie burns for sleeping, per that same website:
    Estimated Energy Burned
    for a 160.0 lb person
    5 Minutes 6 calories
    10 Minutes 11 calories
    15 Minutes 17 calories
    30 Minutes 34 calories
    1 Hour 69 calories
    2 Hours 137 calories
    3 Hours 206 calories
    4 Hours 274 calories

    And sitting:
    Estimated Energy Burned
    for a 160.0 lb person
    5 Minutes 9 calories
    10 Minutes 18 calories
    15 Minutes 27 calories
    30 Minutes 53 calories
    1 Hour 107 calories
    2 Hours 213 calories
    3 Hours 320 calories
    4 Hours 427 calories
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,229 Member
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    I know that driving does burn some calories, at least moreso than sitting. I'm not talking about your daily drive from home to the store/work, but if you are going on a trip and are driving for several hours, would you factor those burned calories into your exercise? Driving 2.5 hours is said to burn around 400 cals.

    2.5hrs does not burn 400 cals!

    This.

    Calorie burns are relative to the size of the individual. But that being the case, I can't imagine how big someone would have to be to burn 400 calories driving for 2.5 hours.
  • JeepBaja
    JeepBaja Posts: 1,824 Member
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    Right and chocolate cake has zero calories! Absolutely would NOT count it!

    If you didn't pay for the cake it doesn't count.
  • goalss4nika
    goalss4nika Posts: 529 Member
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    Not at all
  • nilbogger
    nilbogger Posts: 870 Member
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    Right and chocolate cake has zero calories! Absolutely would NOT count it!

    Well, you have to subtract the calories you burn chewing and digesting the cake1
  • DBoone85
    DBoone85 Posts: 916 Member
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    I know that driving does burn some calories, at least moreso than sitting. I'm not talking about your daily drive from home to the store/work, but if you are going on a trip and are driving for several hours, would you factor those burned calories into your exercise? Driving 2.5 hours is said to burn around 400 cals.

    no.

    JUST.....NO.
  • jmv7117
    jmv7117 Posts: 891 Member
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    I know that driving does burn some calories, at least moreso than sitting. I'm not talking about your daily drive from home to the store/work, but if you are going on a trip and are driving for several hours, would you factor those burned calories into your exercise? Driving 2.5 hours is said to burn around 400 cals.

    Well, we do a lot of traveling (vehicle, train, plane) and make several driving trips each year that are 3 to 21 hours drive time. Technically you are burning calories but I wouldn't count them. If/when we stop I start my pedometer for any walking then stop it when getting back into the vehicle. I count those steps towards my step goal for the day. Basically, I figure travel days are a wash as far as burning calories go. You could certainly factor in standing in line, waiting, restroom breaks and so forth but I figure given our lifestyle all this fits into my normal activity level. I aim for my step goal though. If you are driving the 2.5 hr every day then it would be part of your normal activity level. If it is just an occasional drive, I still wouldn't count it but if you want to count it, don't eat back the calories. This is assuming you are still in the weight loss stage of your fitness journey.
  • LazSommer
    LazSommer Posts: 1,851 Member
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    This is why people are fat.

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