Does walking my dog count as exercise? We walk slowly

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  • 1shauna1
    1shauna1 Posts: 993 Member
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    I don't count my dogs' walks as exercise, for me (because yes, there's a lot of sniffing going on! And pausing, and barking, and watering lol). But if you're just starting out and just starting to get some exercise, maybe count it for now until you have worked your way up to more strenuous stuff?
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
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    No but it would count in your every day activity.
  • CasperNaegle
    CasperNaegle Posts: 936 Member
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    You should squat and sniff with him when he does.. Get some legs and *kitten* workout in there :)
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
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    i absolutely count it.
    maybe work on less sniffing. Walking is part of my dog's job. We walk with a purpose "patrolling" the neighborhood making sure everyone and everything is where it should be. (collie/border collie)
  • csuhar
    csuhar Posts: 779 Member
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    This is one of the areas where I like having a FitBit / pedometer. I don't count walking my dog as exercise simply because it's a bit of a wild card. Some days, she sniffs more, others, she's trying to play sled-dog and pulling me along. There's no telling how quickly I'll cover that 2-mile loop today.

    It is, however, useful activity that increases what you burn and a pedometer can help keep track of. And that lets me keep my workout tracking focused on activities specifically meant for and focused on exercise.
  • ECTexan
    ECTexan Posts: 195 Member
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    I only count special walks where we're out longer than 20mins, jogging a portion of the walk, or something like that. Normal lazy dailies I don't keep track of.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    thorsmom01 wrote: »
    No, that's part of your daily activities. I do up to 8 walks per day with my dogs and have never logged it once.

    People on here log things like sex, pushing a grocery cart, walking to the mail box as exercise. I Personally don't log any of that, i only log intentional workouts not every day life stuff.

    This^

    It's part of your activity level. All movement is a good thing, but deliberate exercise is something that increases your fitness level. Are you challenged in any way by your slow walk? If not, it's activity.
  • Always_Smiling_D
    Always_Smiling_D Posts: 118 Member
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    I walk my dog about 4-5 times a day, I have to go down and up the stairs each time (52 steps each way which equals 520 steps), I don't count it - I don't count cleaning either.

    Some people will log every single lil thing so they can have the extra calories - I wouldn't advise doing so if it is an every day thing you do. This provides a false scene of accomplishment, at least to me it does.
  • ManiacalLaugh
    ManiacalLaugh Posts: 1,048 Member
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    It's definitely a healthy habit - no question, there. That's a full hour you could've been sedentary, but you're up helping improve/maintain your bone density and circulation.

    Personally, I would not log it, as I don't log my occasional walks around the building in which I work. Alternatively, I'd log is as one-calorie burn. It's not bad to log for the purposes of tracking, but it's not enough of a calorie burn to justify increasing intake.
  • kelvirtue2014
    kelvirtue2014 Posts: 5 Member
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    Everything counts. However, why not step it up a notch and maybe go for longer walks or faster walks? Since you need to walk your dog anyway, it is a perfect way to incorporate fitness in.
  • opalle
    opalle Posts: 234 Member
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    If you have your activity level set for sedentary then I see no problem with logging it. Just be sure you log at the slow pace and be honest. If your dog spends half then time sniffing, only log 30 minutes.

    All logging does is give you an idea of how much energy you consume and how much you expend. Personally I have no problem with anyone logging cleaning, pushing a grocery cart, etc if it helps them get a better idea of the energy they are expending.
  • nadiabooboo
    nadiabooboo Posts: 8 Member
    edited January 2016
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    I have a border collie who needs 45 minutes twice a day of exercise. I walk and have a chuck it ball thrower and we cover anywhere from 2 miles to 4.5 miles a day - walking. Sometimes I jog or run and jog. He keeps it fun and interesting. Am out with him by 8:30 every morning - well almost every morning. He is my exercise buddy!
  • Rdsgoal16
    Rdsgoal16 Posts: 302 Member
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    moving is moving in my book, when I take my baby out (whenever it warms up from this frozen hell of the Midwest) I log it!mz8cs8hici0z.jpg
  • kportwood85
    kportwood85 Posts: 151 Member
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    I walk my dog about 1.5 miles a day. I don't log is as exercise, but I don't log anything as exercise. I have my activity level set at either sedentary of the one just above, and I let my fitbit add in the calories throughout the day. (if you don't have a fitbit but do have an iPhone, you can sync MFP with the health kit and it will do the same thing, I've found the fitbit and the phone give me about the same info as far as activity) I eat at my 1,350 a day. If I earn enough, then I get a snack when I put the kids to bed. :smile:
  • Osiris275
    Osiris275 Posts: 228 Member
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    I have 3 dogs, we walk twice a day for an hour each time. I've always counted it as exercise. It's all I do and it's definitely helped as I've lost 70lbs!

    I've since got a Fitbit so it counts my walking and adds it to MFP. I've found as I lost weight I walk a lot quicker.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    For me personally, I would look at it as general activity, and it's good to be generally active. I wouldn't personally count it as exercise because a stroll with my dog is going to do next to nothing for my fitness level. For someone who was otherwise sedentary, that might be a different story...there was a time when a walk around the block left me winded...now I can go ride 50 miles + and then come home and mow the lawn, pull some weeds, do some house work, and cook dinner and still feel great.

    I do lots of things for general activity that I really don't consider exercise...I take family recreational rides on the bike, family hikes, we frequent the zoo and botanical gardens and aquarium and walk around a lot, etc...but like I said, I look at that as general activity...exercise for me is something I'm deliberately doing to increase and/or maintain my current fitness level.

  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    midlifesally wrote: »
    I walk him 4 times a day for 15 minutes approximately, but we don't walk fast and we stop to sniff a lot. (he's sniffing, not me. )
    I certainly do not break a sweat or get exerted, so I'm wondering if it counts as exercise?

    All movement counts as exercise, but you might want to work up to getting your heart rate up eventually, maybe without the sniffy pup. :-)
  • Ibeachlover
    Ibeachlover Posts: 66 Member
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    Being up and off your butt is always better than sitting or laying around. However, for that short of period, and with all the sniffing stops, probably not worth counting :-)

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