logging daily activities as exercise...

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mamabear0222
mamabear0222 Posts: 455 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So I've noticed that people are logging things such as, walking upstairs, walking with an infant, gardening, taking kids to the park, Sex etc as "exercise".

Do people really log all these activities as part of their exercise routine?

I figure if it's a part of my daily life, I wouldnt log it. (I have logged gardening twice in the past month because I have never gardened before in my life!!)

But really? You track how many calories you burn taking your kids to the park? I do this daily and don't track it.
I only log things such as an actual workout focused on working out. (walking on a treadmill, workout dvd etc)

Isn't this kind of like cheating yourself? I would consider anything like this an added bonus and unless you use a HRM 24/7 how accurate is it? What are your thoughts?
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Replies

  • kateanne27
    kateanne27 Posts: 275 Member
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    it might actually be a good way to track daily life calories, if you list as sedentary, it would give you a better idea of how active/inactive you really are, as well as might be a motivation to do more active activites, say take kids to the park rather than just send them to the backyard with a ball or something.
  • ajkat081
    ajkat081 Posts: 3
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    Personally I think I don't count my stagnant calories burnt so... While raking leaves or cooking dinner and cleaning my house, those calories I do count. It's not like I make them mean soemething but some days at work I spend running around and I have my activity level set to nill so where I can calculate any calories I do.
  • H_82
    H_82 Posts: 418 Member
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    So I've noticed that people are logging things such as, walking upstairs, walking with an infant, gardening, taking kids to the park etc as "exercise".

    Do people really log all these activities as part of their exercise routine?

    I figure if it's a part of my daily life, I wouldnt log it. (I have logged gardening twice in the past month because I have never gardened before in my life!!)

    But really? You track how many calories you burn taking your kids to the park? I do this daily and don't track it.
    I only log things such as an actual workout focused on working out. (walking on a treadmill, workout dvd etc)

    Isn't this kind of like cheating yourself? What are your thoughts?
    Totally agree with you. If I'm not in workout clothes & sweating, I don't log it.
  • Solat37_Neil
    Solat37_Neil Posts: 379 Member
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    I've seen things logged as activity that include "sitting/resting" and "computer" and even "brushing teeth". Surely this is cheating yourself into thinking you have more cals to use??
  • mrstyler
    mrstyler Posts: 43
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    Since I've input my life as sedentary, if I do something above what I normally do, it makes sense to log it. Although I don't tend to eat the extra calories, unless it was actually strenuous. But its nice to see the extra calories I've burned by taking a walk, going up the stairs a bunch of times instead of sending the hubby up, etc. I don't personally use casual low-calorie activity to add eating calories--I only do that with real exercise where I get my heart rate up.
  • Kirstie_C26
    Kirstie_C26 Posts: 490 Member
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    i think its up to the ppl themselves whether they log day to day activity or not. Who are we to judge others on wot way they decide to make their journey work for them? for a while i had my level set to sedentary, and logged all my exercise related to work everyday and i lost weight while doing it.


    EACH TO THEIR OWN thats what i say :)
  • kateanne27
    kateanne27 Posts: 275 Member
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    I've seen things logged as activity that include "sitting/resting" and "computer" and even "brushing teeth". Surely this is cheating yourself into thinking you have more cals to use??

    brushing teeth? thats awesome, I hope they are brushing so vigorously they are sweating!
  • MindiKat
    MindiKat Posts: 49
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    Okay, I'm going to chime in here and say I log cleaning my pool, mowing and grocery shopping. All of these include lots of work on my part and sweating. Cleaning the pool includes treading water while moving vacuum back and forth for over an hour - great workout. Mowing - well, that's a given - especially here in Texas.

    Grocery shopping I think depends on the person and the grocery list. I shop once a week and feed and provide litter for several cats, several teenagers and their friends, a dachshund and then a 50 lb bag of food for our great dane every week. Hefting just the animal food and then waters, juice, milk and such items and pushing them around the store for over an hour is QUITE the workout and I go late at night so I never stop moving. Maybe its cheating but if your heart rate is up and you're sweating - isn't it a workout?
  • FearAnLoathing
    FearAnLoathing Posts: 4,852 Member
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    This again?:sick:
  • mamabear0222
    mamabear0222 Posts: 455 Member
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    I've seen things logged as activity that include "sitting/resting" and "computer" and even "brushing teeth". Surely this is cheating yourself into thinking you have more cals to use??

    brushing teeth? thats awesome, I hope they are brushing so vigorously they are sweating!

    Brushing teeth, haven't seen that yet but I brush 3 times a day, so I've got to be burning something right? haha jk
  • FearAnLoathing
    FearAnLoathing Posts: 4,852 Member
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    So I've noticed that people are logging things such as, walking upstairs, walking with an infant, gardening, taking kids to the park, Sex etc as "exercise".

    Do people really log all these activities as part of their exercise routine?

    I figure if it's a part of my daily life, I wouldnt log it. (I have logged gardening twice in the past month because I have never gardened before in my life!!)

    Thats good because no one is telling YOU to log it
  • Still_Sossy
    Still_Sossy Posts: 868 Member
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    I do not log it, that can get a bit crazy really. Do you log when you go from the counter to the sink? Wow... I burned 10 calories walking to the hall closet! Daily routines and activies are just that, part of your day. I only log actual workouts, either a walk/run or a program I am doing. IMHO.
  • mamabear0222
    mamabear0222 Posts: 455 Member
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    This again?:sick:

    You have 2100 posts to my 145, so I take it you've been around a while longer then a month like I have.
    My apologies if this has been discussed before. I suppose you could just not respond and skip over the thread :)
  • RILEYRED
    RILEYRED Posts: 647 Member
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    I THINK PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY DO THEIR OWN YARDWORK, 3 HOURS AT A TIME, SWEATING YOUR BUTT OFF,OR SCRUBBING YOUR FLOORS HEAVY DUTY CLEANING, AND YES, WALKING YOUR KIDS OR DOG, THAT IS EXERCISE. NOT EVERYBODY CAN AFFORD WORKOUT EQUIPMENT OR GYM MEMBERSHIPS, SO YOU SWEAT ON A TREADMILL ALONE, OR ENJOY YOUR KIDS OR PETS, AND STILL BURN CALORIES,WHO CARES ANYWAYS, TO EACH THEIR OWN,IF YOU LOSE WEIGHT DOING IT, THAT'S WHAT COUNTS.
  • Kirstie_C26
    Kirstie_C26 Posts: 490 Member
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    I THINK PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY DO THEIR OWN YARDWORK, 3 HOURS AT A TIME, SWEATING YOUR BUTT OFF,OR SCRUBBING YOUR FLOORS HEAVY DUTY CLEANING, AND YES, WALKING YOUR KIDS OR DOG, THAT IS EXERCISE. NOT EVERYBODY CAN AFFORD WORKOUT EQUIPMENT OR GYM MEMBERSHIPS, SO YOU SWEAT ON A TREADMILL ALONE, OR ENJOY YOUR KIDS OR PETS, AND STILL BURN CALORIES,WHO CARES ANYWAYS, TO EACH THEIR OWN,IF YOU LOSE WEIGHT DOING IT, THAT'S WHAT COUNTS.

    my thoughts exactly babe :D xx
  • Heather75
    Heather75 Posts: 3,386 Member
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    Some people use "carrying infant or 15lbs" because they are actually walking with a backpack. Gardening can be serious backbreaking work if you are digging new flowerbeds.

    You don't actually know what people are logging. Stop judging, please.
  • SuzieR
    SuzieR Posts: 127
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    My activity level is set to Sedentary. I log my brisk walks to school/bus stop (about 15 minutes each, twice a day) and I did once log some housework but I felt a bit silly doing that so I didn't do it again (log it, I have done the housework! :))

    I think if I did something strenuous and outside my normal daily activity such as an afternoon digging over the beds in the garden, or clearing out the garage I would log it, but general day to day housework and stuff I'm not going to log.
  • aamb
    aamb Posts: 377 Member
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    if its not a normal daily activity that i HAVE to do..(. ie housework etc) i log it. and each to their own.. if it works for you.. let it be
  • lsd007
    lsd007 Posts: 435
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    Some people use "carrying infant or 15lbs" because they are actually walking with a backpack. Gardening can be serious backbreaking work if you are digging new flowerbeds.

    You don't actually know what people are logging. Stop judging, please.

    The orangutan wins again.
  • mamabear0222
    mamabear0222 Posts: 455 Member
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    My question was what were everyone's thoughts on it. Now I know. LOL
    No judging, to each their own.

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