College Student-- Active or Lightly Active?

niliayu
niliayu Posts: 4 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Hey guys, so I'm a full time college student who generally walks 5-7 miles per day at a decently brisk pace, since my classes are often far apart, and usually with a 10-15lb backpack in tow. According to the stats given by the health app on my iPhone, I also usually climb about 20 stories, sometimes more. So I haven't been too sure about how to categorize my activity level, and was wondering what you guys think. :smile:

Replies

  • bm920
    bm920 Posts: 114 Member
    5-7 miles would be active. Your campus must be huge.
  • BioQueen
    BioQueen Posts: 694 Member
    My campus was huge and I definitely walked a couple of miles every day. I would put in lightly active or I would put sedentary and calculate how much you walk every day in-between classes
  • niliayu
    niliayu Posts: 4 Member
    bm920 wrote: »
    5-7 miles would be active. Your campus must be huge.
    My university used to be two separate schools that combined into one-- it is rather large! I walk end to end often.
    BioQueen wrote: »
    My campus was huge and I definitely walked a couple of miles every day. I would put in lightly active or I would put sedentary and calculate how much you walk every day in-between classes
    Good idea, thanks! Sometimes I'm not so sure about doing this because the myfitnesspal exercise calculator requires that you enter the amount of time spent doing the activity... it's hard for me to know how much time I spend walking usually, I usually just look at my phones health app at the end of the day!
  • mitch16
    mitch16 Posts: 2,113 Member
    I would call it active so you don't have to calculate exactly how long/far you walk every day. Keep an eye on your loss/gain and modify your activity level to fit your goals.

    I went to college on a huge campus, too--I never really realized how active I was until I graduated and started working a desk job--that's when my weight started creeping up.
  • jenmar17
    jenmar17 Posts: 3,261 Member
    But what do you do when you're not traveling between classes? I'm guessing you spend a lot of time sitting and studying. I'd say "lightly active" bc I wouldn't want to overestimate my calorie needs and not lose weight.
  • niliayu
    niliayu Posts: 4 Member
    Yes, in between all of the walking I'm sitting in lectures or studying-- the exception to that being piano practice (I am a music student). I measured my heart rate during practice several times out of curiosity, and it does seem to cause an increase of about 10bpm, and I practice for several hours a day, but I wonder if that's getting a bit too nit-picky...
  • tempehforever
    tempehforever Posts: 183 Member
    I'm a grad student and usually walk about 4 miles a day on average. I actually enter my activity level as sedentary because 1) I'm sitting down working or in class the rest of the day and 2) the extra calories I burn walking give me a little more room for error in my daily calories (I'm often in situations in which I have to estimate my calories rather than measure exactly). I do enter all of my formal exercise (running and weight lifting) and eat back most of those calories. If I walk an unusually long distance, then I log that as well.

    I find the activity levels vague (especially because they can vary a lot from day to day, like a weekday vs. a weekend) and think it is easier to call yourself sedentary and then enter all your walking as cardio activity. That way you get a proper picture of what you're actually burning.
  • tempehforever
    tempehforever Posts: 183 Member
    BioQueen wrote: »
    Good idea, thanks! Sometimes I'm not so sure about doing this because the myfitnesspal exercise calculator requires that you enter the amount of time spent doing the activity... it's hard for me to know how much time I spend walking usually, I usually just look at my phones health app at the end of the day!

    I use the MPH estimate that MFP provides for various walking paces. I know it is almost exactly a mile from my home to campus, so that helps me calculate the time it takes me. Although I usually underestimate my pace, again, to give myself a little more wiggle room on calories.
  • niliayu
    niliayu Posts: 4 Member
    Hmm, since it's been suggested more than once I may try that then... Thanks for the input. :) I too try to leave some wiggle room in terms of calories, especially when eating at the dining halls, which at my university do provide calorie estimates, but only for undefined portion sizes...
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