Is shoveling snow a workout or not!?!?!?!?!
BEERRUNNER
Posts: 3,046 Member
Whats shaking my awesome people of MFP!?!!?
We are getting over the Blizzard of 2015 here in Chicago! And man! Have I been shoveling snow as if it was gold!
This stuff is efffeeennnnnn heavy!
With that said, what are your toughts for shoveling as a workout?!?!
My routine is shovel, wine, break and then shovel......
We are getting over the Blizzard of 2015 here in Chicago! And man! Have I been shoveling snow as if it was gold!
This stuff is efffeeennnnnn heavy!
With that said, what are your toughts for shoveling as a workout?!?!
My routine is shovel, wine, break and then shovel......
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Replies
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I'm right there with you. I feel like I have shoveled 3,459 times in the past 4 days. I have a rather large driveway so by the time I'm done, have to start over. LOL! And to answer your question, yes, I consider it a "bonus" workout.0
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I log it because it's not something that I do all the time. If I'm spending 45 minutes to an hour shoveling snow, not taking a break and sweating my butt off then I consider it a workout.0
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It can be hard from time to time, but it's not a workout, unless some enterprising gym has figured out how to do a bootcamp class right.
It's a decent excuse for a cup of hot chocolate though.0 -
It makes me sweat and my heart pound and my muscles burn. So, yeah, I count it.
Logging it regularly provides amusement to many of my MFP friends who live in more temperate climes. So glad I could entertain you, warmies.0 -
My favorite is when you shovel off your walk, and the city plows come right by and undo all that work...0
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400 - 600 calories per hour, according to Web MD.
webmd.com/parenting/fun-and-fit-family-11/calorie-burners0 -
branflakes1980 wrote: »
that drives me nuts!!! Like thanks and all but you could have called and said hey I'll be over in a couple hours don't kill yourself shoveling lol
I do not log it but I do consider is a work out. Now if I go out to play with the kids in the snow or I strap on the snow shoes I do log that.0 -
Um, yes. Why wouldn't it be? It's hard work and if you have a long driveway like mine, it's going to take you at least 40 minutes of sustained effort!0
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I don't log frequent regular activities but I do log those that are strenuous comparative to things I would log as workouts and that I don't do on a regular basis. I log moving piles of rock, shoveling snow, and annual yard clean up. I rarely do those things and they are at least as strenuous as a walk or my yoga class. I don't believe exercise has to occur in a gym or be non-functional.
My friends list seems to mostly concur. I often see logs for shoveling snow and rarely for cleaning.
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10 people died in chicago these past 3 days because of heart attacks. They never workout and take on this excruciating work.....boom!
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Definitely a workout.
Heart attacks from shoveling snow on the upswing; Hospitals advise residents to take it easy - GENESEE COUNTY, MI
"There are people who wouldn't normally get up and start exercising. You really put yourself at risk if you're not in shape to do (the amount of work it takes to shovel a driveway)," he said. "Some people aren't conditioned for that. That's when heart attacks come, that's when strokes come. ... They just have to take it slow."0 -
Shoveling 18" is a better workout than anything I do at the gym. Damn right I'm logging it.0
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I logged it today. I was out there for over an hour, and then I had to go back out again later and shovel some more. It's quite the workout considering all the snow we have, plus I put extra oomph to it so I get a better workout, lol. However, the calories burned always seems high to me. The listing in the MFP database says 316 calories for 30 minutes. That doesn't seem quite right, so I won't likely eat all of those calories back...maybe half.0
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kelly_e_montana wrote: »I don't log frequent regular activities but I do log those that are strenuous comparative to things I would log as workouts and that I don't do on a regular basis. I log moving piles of rock, shoveling snow, and annual yard clean up. I rarely do those things and they are at least as strenuous as a walk or my yoga class. I don't believe exercise has to occur in a gym or be non-functional.
My friends list seems to mostly concur. I often see logs for shoveling snow and rarely for cleaning.
Indeed.the world is your gym!
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I wouldn't log it.....but then I live in Florida.
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My favorite is when you shovel off your walk, and the city plows come right by and undo all that work...
LOL...I gave the city worker such a death stare the other day. I know they're just doing their job, but still. I had JUST finished shoveling my way out. Took me over an hour and it was so dang cold. Right, and I do mean right, when I finished here comes the city to block the end of my drive way in. I was still standing near the end of my car when they did it. We had another storm come through this morning and give us even more snow than the one on Monday. I just finished digging us out, so I look for the city to come through here any time. Oh well, more exercise for me I guess.
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I just count shoveling as a bonus and don't log it -0
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I think it is a great workout. It works my core and arm muscles and it is great cardio. I am in Chicago as well. And I looooooovvveee the wine break!!! LOL!
I dont log it as exercise I just make a mental note that I have some extra calories if needed.0 -
I've spent 3 to 4 hours shoveling non-stop when we've had big snowfalls. You bet I logged that as a workout.
* Disclaimer: I now have a snowblower so those days are over0 -
I think it is a great workout. It works my core and arm muscles and it is great cardio. I am in Chicago as well. And I looooooovvveee the wine break!!! LOL!
I dont log it as exercise I just make a mental note that I have some extra calories if needed.
Not if you took a wine break. 0 -
Of course it's a workout. I think the official total here in Chicago was 19.1". The stuff that came down Sunday was wet and heavy. The rest of it that came overnight for Monday morning was light and fluffy. All together, it was a lot of friggin snow.
I don't log shoveling as a workout. I let my Fitbit decide how many calories it's worth. I think the Fitbit overestimates the number of steps because of the extra arm movement, but walking calorie estimates don't usually include throwing thousands of pounds of snow. So overall I'm pretty sure I'm burning a lot more calories than Fitbit thinks I am.0 -
400 - 600 calories per hour, according to Web MD.
webmd.com/parenting/fun-and-fit-family-11/calorie-burners
I wore my heart rate monitor the other day and didn't burn quite that much. 324 in almost an hour and a half. I went out for a follow-up shovel but didn't wear the HRM.
I wouldn't log it if it were only 30 minutes, but when I'm out there for 90 minutes to 2 hours I'd say that's legit. The stuff is heavy and I'm throwing it onto piles that now reach my shoulder. I didn't eat back the calories, though I usually eat back some on my regular workouts (when I burn 430-500+).
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We've been missing out on the snow this year where I am. But last year? I'd spend hours shoveling my driveway. I absolutely logged it, since it wasn't something I did regularly. (However, if it was only a few inches and/or only took 20 minutes or so I wouldn't.)0
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You better believe it's a workout! Shoveling an inch off the front step, not so much. But I know what you've been getting in Chicagoland and that should count as a workout! Especially if you're sweating.0
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And then you get a workout by half-digging, half pushing your car out. It's even better by yourself... put it in neutral, then get out and push it over the hump. Then hop back in and drive away. Hills make this harder to do safely.0 -
When I was losing, clearing last year's snow in Chicago was the only exercise I got in winter, but I didn't log it. Now I log every minute and wear a HRM because I'm just like that and kinda interested.
And yes, it can be dangerous. FIL did his back in shoveling and it was the start of his final decline.0 -
shoving snow is defiantly a work out. there is a web site you put your weight age and click on what you did and tells you how many calories you burned. http://www.healthstatus.com/perl/calculator.cgi0
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Um, yes. Why wouldn't it be? It's hard work and if you have a long driveway like mine, it's going to take you at least 40 minutes of sustained effort!
40 minutes?! I shoveled just the sidewalk in front of my house and the end of the driveway and that alone took me 30 minutes! I can only imagine how long I would be out there if I did the whole driveway. Thankfully, my friend came by with his plow as I was finishing the sidewalk and did the driveway for me :-)
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