How to estimate calories/carbs burned

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wesj43
wesj43 Posts: 7 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I do some gardening every day. The "general" selection works fine for most stuff. However, 3 - 4 days a week, I shovel 3 to 4 contractor wheel barrows of dirt and rocks around. This involves a lot of digging, transporting, dumping and leveling.

I have been scratching my head trying to figure out some way to estimate the burn rate.

Does anyone have any ideas??

Wes

Replies

  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    Work (including house work, yard work and child care) is part of your activity level, and should not be logged as exercise.

    Work = activity level. Workouts = exercise.

    Increase your activity level, give it a few weeks, then reevaluate your progress.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    I include stuff like that in my activity level. Like I have a desk job, but I also have a 5 y.o. and a 3 y.o. and a good acre to tend to as well as a home...there's always something needing fixed or cleaned or cooked, etc...so while I have a desk job, I'm still "light active" without deliberate exercise.

    you're never going to be able to accurately estimate calorie burns for that.
  • wesj43
    wesj43 Posts: 7 Member
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    Thanks for your reply.

    I don't know about anyone else, but I consider shoveling rocks and dirt exercise. The same could be said for lifting cinder blocks, bricks and other masonry. Some of the rocks I move are over 100 pounds. I sometimes have to move 5 or 6 of them.

    That involves a lot of muscle power and sweat. I would like to keep track of how many calories and carbs I am burning; even if this would only be considered "activity." It still has a burn rate and should be tracked.

    Since I am 73, this is kind of important to me. Trying to stay around long enough to see my 8 month old grandson graduate college :-))

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