Do I get exercise credit for working a 12hr shift on my feet

makmyra
makmyra Posts: 121 Member
edited September 26 in Fitness and Exercise
I work 12 hour shifts as a nurse assistant...do you think I deserve credit for my walking around all day? of course, I have periods where I sit. But don't I deserve some hours of calorie burning? I need your comments please.

Replies

  • hopechessel
    hopechessel Posts: 2
    I add it in, walking at a slow pace. If it's only 10 minutes at a time the calculator can still tell you how many calories that is. Even if you have to add in 10 minute walks 20 times it will record it.

    Hope this helps!
  • strawberrylime
    strawberrylime Posts: 6
    Buy a pedometer and let that be your proof!!
  • AngelaPowPowPOW
    AngelaPowPowPOW Posts: 293
    I wore a pedometer for a month as a bartender. I average 4 miles a day. I count them!
  • cougs12
    cougs12 Posts: 92
    i would think so. i counted the walking we did at the zoo the other day.
  • Nomomush
    Nomomush Posts: 582 Member
    Not if you recorded it previously when you were setting your goals.
  • DieselGrrl
    DieselGrrl Posts: 55
    I believe so, but I wouldn't rely on that solely for your exercise. Our bodies adapt to our lives and environment and while that may be enough to help you maintain your weight (or lose with proper diet) it may not be enough on down the road. You could try biking or swimming as cardio to help you "get off your feet" :)
  • emilex
    emilex Posts: 95 Member
    I think the system should adjust for that if you listed that you have a really active job. I mean, people who work at a desk all day would list sedentary, and people like you would pick the highest activity level. The calories the system gives you factor that in.
  • DoReMiFaSoLaTiDo
    DoReMiFaSoLaTiDo Posts: 296
    I work 12 hour shifts as a nurse assistant...do you think I deserve credit for my walking around all day? of course, I have periods where I sit. But don't I deserve some hours of calorie burning? I need your comments please.

    I hope you wear support or compression hose while you work
  • NicolCook
    NicolCook Posts: 489 Member
    Depends on what you have your activity level at on your settings. If you have chosen the very active setting, you are getting credit for all that walking already.
  • haylayne81
    haylayne81 Posts: 56
    I wore a pedometer for a month as a bartender. I average 4 miles a day. I count them!



    How do you record the mile on MFP though? I wear one everyday too...
  • SheilaSisco
    SheilaSisco Posts: 722 Member
    If you work 12 hour shifts and are on your feet most of it, your should have your activity level set to 'active' and that would compensate for it... if it's a daily (or regular) thing, it should be included in your activity level and not counted as exercise. I have mine set to 'lightly active' because I am a cashier and AM on my feet all day when I work, but I don't really walk around a whole lot... but I thought lightly active fit because I wasn't sitting behind a desk or something similar. Hope this helps...
  • BrickHouse2011
    BrickHouse2011 Posts: 91 Member
    I only like to add things that are out of the ordinary for me. I do not like to count things that i do on a regular basis as my exercise because if that was the case my weight would not be an issue becasue you get adequate exercise. Now if you take a few minutes to do some squats or something then you could add that.
  • AngelaPowPowPOW
    AngelaPowPowPOW Posts: 293
    I wore a pedometer for a month as a bartender. I average 4 miles a day. I count them!



    How do you record the mile on MFP though? I wear one everyday too...
    My pedometer has a calorie meter on it. I know I'm not running around for a straight 4 hours, so find a "moderate pace" and set the time in to what's closest to what the calorie meter says.
  • callipygianchronicle
    callipygianchronicle Posts: 811 Member
    No, it wouldn’t count as exercise. But it *should* be counted toward your activity level. So make sure you are not set to Sedentary, but Lightly Active or Actve.
  • Just1forMe
    Just1forMe Posts: 624 Member
    I work 12 hour shifts as a nurse assistant...do you think I deserve credit for my walking around all day? of course, I have periods where I sit. But don't I deserve some hours of calorie burning? I need your comments please.

    NO!

    This activity should already be accounted for in your maintenance calories when they asked you if you are:
    Sedentary: Spend most of the day sitting (e.g. bank teller, desk job)
    Lightly Active: Spend a good part of the day on your feet (e.g. nurse, salesman)
    Active: Spend a good part of the day doing some physical activity (e.g. waitress, mailman)
    Very Active: Spend most of the day doing heavy physical activity (e.g. bike messenger, carpenter)

    Hopefully, if you work 40 hours a week, you selected "lightly active" . If you count this as exercise, you are taking "double credit" for the walking.
  • nisijam5
    nisijam5 Posts: 9,964 Member
    I'm a nurse and I only count 1 hour of slow walking which equals about 200 calories...I did wear my HRM to work for a 4 hour shift and burned about 400 calories...I like the idea of the pedometer, I clocked 5 miles during a shift with that. Again, enter at a slow pace
  • spoiledwifenikki
    spoiledwifenikki Posts: 92
    of course you need to add it that is burning calories
  • lawkat
    lawkat Posts: 538 Member
    If you had put down that your lifestyle is active due to your profession, no I wouldn't include it. Your daily amount is derived from what you do on a daily basis. If you count that as exercise, and eating those calories, you are negating the calorie deficit you are trying to create. I put down a sedentary lifestyle because I am in front of a computer most of the day. I wouldn't factor in any calories I get from walking to the bathroom and back. Those are already factored into my day.
  • kao708
    kao708 Posts: 813 Member
    You should take that into consideration when setting your activity level. It should not be logged as separate exercise.
  • AngelaPowPowPOW
    AngelaPowPowPOW Posts: 293
    I should add that I only count it because I only do it twice a week now since I'm a student. If I did it daily I'd reconsider it.
  • JMJohnson1005
    JMJohnson1005 Posts: 209 Member
    I would think if you set your goals correctly when you first started then you do not need to log it as exercise. If you set your goals incorrectly then you may need to adjust them.
  • dragonflydi
    dragonflydi Posts: 665 Member
    If you had put down that your lifestyle is active due to your profession, no I wouldn't include it. Your daily amount is derived from what you do on a daily basis. If you count that as exercise, and eating those calories, you are negating the calorie deficit you are trying to create. I put down a sedentary lifestyle because I am in front of a computer most of the day. I wouldn't factor in any calories I get from walking to the bathroom and back. Those are already factored into my day.

    This is exactly what I was going to say ... this should already be accounted for in your settings. If you aren't sure, go to goals, click on 'change goals', select guided and change the option for how much movement you are getting during the day and it will take that into consideration automatically when it calculates your calories :)
  • mangorabbit
    mangorabbit Posts: 219 Member
    Though ultimately it is up to you, if you set your daily activity level above 'sedentary' that probably falls under the umbrella of your daily caloric needs as figured by MFP - if you opted to claim you are sedentary you MIGHT want to put some of the time in as exercise. (I rarely include work related stuff as exercise, but that is me.)

    **DISCLAIMER: I may not know what I am talking about.**

    ^_^
  • fitnezrox
    fitnezrox Posts: 41
    It really is not considered exercise, but should have been calculated in your initial caloric intake for the day. When it asked you what your lifestyle is sedentary, active, etc. It gives you calories to accommodate the extra energy you would burn being active throughout the day versus sitting at a desk all day.
    In order to truly count a workout one must sweat to burn the fat, a workout is over and beyond your regular daily activities. I see a lot of people adding in and eating calories back for things that would not really constitute a workout but rather a daily life activity, and then they are griping about not losing weight, lol. Now if you are mowing your lawn with a push mower, and squatting down and pulling weeds for an hour or two and you are working up a sweat then you can add that in as a strength workout., but leisurely shopping and strolling around a mall is not really an exercise. It takes 3500 calories burned in order to drop 1 pound of body fat. The more honest we are with our numbers.....calories and exercise......the better the results we will see!
  • haylayne81
    haylayne81 Posts: 56
    I wore a pedometer for a month as a bartender. I average 4 miles a day. I count them!



    How do you record the mile on MFP though? I wear one everyday too...
    My pedometer has a calorie meter on it. I know I'm not running around for a straight 4 hours, so find a "moderate pace" and set the time in to what's closest to what the calorie meter says.

    Hmmm...I bet mine doesn't have a calorie meter because it's a $5 special from WalMart, lol. Guess I will try to find one that does because I'm amazed at how much walking I do in a day, and I defintely want to record it. Thank you!!!!!
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