Would you log lawnmowing?

ljones27uk
ljones27uk Posts: 177 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all,

Not sure if I'm pushing my luck on the exercise boundaries here, but just wondering if anyone would log 30mins of lawnmowing as exercise, or just keep it in you basic calorie burn? I know it's a bit OTT but curious on whether or not others would log.
Cheers
FYI - always happy for more friends to help on the journey so add me if interested in this and other awesome topics! :-))
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Replies

  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    The first question is why do you want to log it? Do you desperately need the calories? If so maybe reassess your goals. I know a lot of people log it just to keep a record of some exercise. It comes down to will it be useful to you to log it and your reasons for doing it.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    I am set to sedentary, so I would log it.
  • BlueBombers
    BlueBombers Posts: 4,064 Member
    No. If I spend all day cleaning my house I don't log it either.

    Edit: That's just what I do but for sure go ahead and log it if you want.
  • FatOldManMN
    FatOldManMN Posts: 1,116 Member
    Sure do! I log it all the time.
  • jgsimon1
    jgsimon1 Posts: 61
    I would only log it if I really worked up a good sweat and exerted a lot of energy doing it. (like pushing the mower up hills or raking and bagging too) Otherwise, I wouldn't.......to me, it's not much different than pushing a grocery cart around the store.....and I would never log that.
  • bandit5125
    bandit5125 Posts: 491 Member
    mowing my lawn takes a couple of hours, I push mow it, its about 5 miles by the time I am done so I do log it to keep track of it. I don't eat back my calories so I don't log it for that. I don't log normal housework.
  • Railr0aderTony
    Railr0aderTony Posts: 6,803 Member
    It is pretty much up to you, if you feel like 30 minutes of mowing lawn was a workout, then log it, if not, then don't. at the end of the day you are the only one who will know. Like someone else said if you need the calories maybe you want to re-access your weight loss goals and up your calories.
  • azrubael
    azrubael Posts: 65 Member
    My general rule these days is that if I was doing the task while I gained the weight then I don't log the task while trying to lose the weight. That may just be me though.
  • MamaRiss
    MamaRiss Posts: 481 Member
    I've decided not to log anything that has to happen, like house/yard work, walking the dog, grocery shopping. Advice from others on here has been to use that as a buffer for the inevitable logging errors and overestimating calorie burns for actual exercise
  • bostonboxermom
    bostonboxermom Posts: 24 Member
    I log lawn mowing. I have an acre, I push it, and my watch tells me I burn about 600 calories doing it. I only eat back some of the calories. Now when I used to use my riding mower, I didn't log that!
  • Fedup23
    Fedup23 Posts: 80 Member
    I dont log anything thats not a moment where I am actually in the process of "working out". Cutting the grass.. cleaning..washing the car.. walking to the restroom 6 times a day.. to me thats all just incidental activity.. yes it burns some calories, but thats just everyday life. Now , if I was chopping wood for 3 hours.... (and thats not a euphemism)
  • rides4sanity
    rides4sanity Posts: 1,269 Member
    If you are set to sedentary, your calories are on the low end it is important to log the extra stuff. If you are set to active, moderate activities are all ready accounted for..

    If I feel like I really exerted myself, Yes. If not, no... For me it is about effort... Sometimes I log cleaning, but those are "crazy" cleaning days, not just dishes and dusting.. I rarely log walking at a moderate pace, unless it's more than 4 hours... It's up to you. look at your life and your settings in MFP...
  • mitch16
    mitch16 Posts: 2,113 Member
    Personally I don't.

    I have my activity level set to sedentary, but I only record as exercise anything that I actually strap on my HRM to complete (running, cycling) or do in a gym setting (yoga, pilates, TRX).

    I don't count yard work or housework. We downhill ski every weekend during the winter and golf often during the summer--I don't even count those anymore--I kind of just see them as a bonus burn...
  • iplayoutside19
    iplayoutside19 Posts: 2,304 Member
    I log it, as it's physical activity that's not a usual part of my day. It takes an hour, I'm usually soaked when I'm done, and it elevates my HR to the same point when I ride my bike at a steady pace.

    It's going to improve cardio or muscular strength mind you, but its still a good bit of calories.
  • 13bbird13
    13bbird13 Posts: 425 Member
    If it's a fairly significant activity that doesn't happen every day, I log it. Lawn mowing would qualify (but I live in a condo so I don't personally do that activity), especially if you have a push mower or have a lot of ground to cover.

    It kind of depends. I don't generally log things like shopping, but if I'm on a biannual visit to Ikea and spend four or five hours walking all over the store, I take half the time I was there and log it as Walking - Slow Pace. My feet tell me I was indeed exercising!
  • SeptemberLondon
    SeptemberLondon Posts: 151 Member
    My general rule these days is that if I was doing the task while I gained the weight then I don't log the task while trying to lose the weight. That may just be me though.
    ^Absolutely agree with this! I don't log it. Making exercise a new habit is a priority for me. I can't let myself use daily activities as a substitute for regular exercise.
  • ljmorgi
    ljmorgi Posts: 264 Member
    Definitely not if it's a riding mower.
  • betseyjane
    betseyjane Posts: 18 Member
    I do. Ours takes about an hour - push mowing and I always work up a good sweat. Though, I usually don't eat back my exercise calories if I can help it.
  • WhatMeRunning
    WhatMeRunning Posts: 3,538 Member
    I'm set to sedentary and I do not log that, or other lawn work. I probably could, I just don't think there is a good means of coutning those calories accurately (even HRM's are not that accurate for low impact aerobics like that).
  • _MG_
    _MG_ Posts: 453 Member
    Not if you ride.

    I push mine. It ends up being about 2.5 miles. I wear my FitBit One and just use the steps from that. I don't log it as anything special.
  • heidispideymfp
    heidispideymfp Posts: 179 Member
    I am set to sedentary, so I would log it.

    This
  • smittybuilt19
    smittybuilt19 Posts: 955 Member
    I log lawn mowing. I only log half of what MFP recommends. For 2 hours I will only log 1, etc.



    Oddly enough, I do not log strength training sessions. I consider those "bonus burns"
  • markpmc
    markpmc Posts: 240 Member
    Nope. I don't log throwing pallets of sod either. It's just part of my daily activity. Granted it was a hard day, but it was just a chore or my honey do list.
  • 2essie
    2essie Posts: 2,861 Member
    I log it because it is not something I do every day. I burn lots of calories too doing it but don't eat them back. I just like to see how much energy I have used. As long as it is not a sit on and ride lawn mower and you are down as sedentary then I think you should. Housework I don't log because I do that every day. I have a fitbit so that counts the calories anyway. But yes, I would say log it and be proud of it. Lol
  • BigFatDaddy55
    BigFatDaddy55 Posts: 6 Member
    I MOST DEFINITELY would log in lawn moving, unless you are sitting on a tractor drinking a beer:))
  • Kari121869
    Kari121869 Posts: 180 Member
    I don't log housework, etc anymore.. but I do log when I mow the lawn and here's why: It's not something I did much when I GAINED the weight and it's something I've PUSHED myself to do (actually I push hubby away from the mower so I can put in the extra workout lol).
    It takes me a good hour to do our lawn and half of it is uphill so I make the effort to PUSH the mower up hill not just side to side... so by the time I'm done I'm a bloody sweaty mess!! And I know my heart rate is up for sure!!

    I have my settings at lightly active on here, thus why I don't log housework, walking to/from work, etc.. but workouts and mowing the lawn yes... but I don't eat back my cals much either...
  • Molly5874
    Molly5874 Posts: 3 Member
    I have a pushmower so its definitely a workout to me!!!:laugh:
  • Jonalee1977
    Jonalee1977 Posts: 415 Member
    No. When I see people logging lawn-mowing and cleaning it makes me think that they don't have enough willpower or determination to do a real workout. If you want extra calories for that type of stuff, buy a Fitbit. Then you can log only your intended workout and your Fitbit will give you any extra calories you've earned doing normal activities throughout the day.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    I totally would because it would be an additional 45 (?) minutes work I don't normally do. I've considered stopping the lawn service and doing it myself. It does seem silly to avoid work when you're trying to lose weight...but it's hot in the summer, lol.

    I do not log laundry or cleaning the house, though, because that's just part of my life. I log additional stuff. :)
  • smittybuilt19
    smittybuilt19 Posts: 955 Member
    No. When I see people logging lawn-mowing and cleaning it makes me think that they don't have enough willpower or determination to do a real workout. If you want extra calories for that type of stuff, buy a Fitbit. Then you can log only your intended workout and your Fitbit will give you any extra calories you've earned doing normal activities throughout the day.

    Where can I get some of this willpower? Got any I could have?

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