What do you count as 'exercise'?

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sarastark86
sarastark86 Posts: 9
in Health and Weight Loss
Question in the title really... I have my settings to 'sedentary' lifestyle as I work in a desk job... however I am quite physically energetic, I walk 10 mins each way to the tube station each morning and always go as fast as I can, I don't own a car so any trip to the supermarket is a 15 minute walk then walking back with heavy bags, I run up stairs and walk up escalators etc, I always seem to be in a hurry :) but I don't count any of this as it's just what I do normally. What do you guys count?
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Replies

  • lclarkjr
    lclarkjr Posts: 359 Member
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    I tend to only count actual exercise as exercise. Day to day activities including walking to and from the car or even walking the dog are included in my sedentary lifestyle setting.
  • Kolohe71
    Kolohe71 Posts: 613 Member
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    I only count those activities that I would do outside of my normal daily routine. i.e., a walk just for the sake of walking etc.
  • xdannigirl
    xdannigirl Posts: 32 Member
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    I would change my settings to lightly active or even active. Don't count it as extra exercise if it's what you already do...extra exercise would be like running on a treadmill or in the park. What you're describing is just day-to-day activities, but can affect how active your lifestyle is.

    If that makes sense.
  • littlewords
    littlewords Posts: 43
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    If you have been doing all of those things all along, but now you want to lose weight/get into better shape, I would say that those things DO NOT count, because you've already been doing them. I would only count additional exercise.

    So I didn't use to walk to work on a regular basis, but am trying to do it more as a way to get into better shape, so I *do* count that 30 minutes each way. Or if I walk anywhere else that I wouldn't ordinarily.
  • brandiuntz
    brandiuntz Posts: 2,717 Member
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    I count any actual workout and when I play sports (organized recreational team sports like softball or flag football).
  • christine24t
    christine24t Posts: 6,063 Member
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    I don't count normal activities as exercise...I view them as little extras that help get me to my goal :)
  • get_fit2009
    get_fit2009 Posts: 827 Member
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    My actual cardio time spent at the gym, and anything outside my typical day where I am breaking a sweat and breathing hard. Today, I spent 2 hours gardening. If I am just pulling stray weeds, I don't count it. Today, though, it was trimming and yanking and pulling and shoveling and I was sweating and exhausted so I counted it. I consider most other household chores to be part of my typical day.
  • along21291
    along21291 Posts: 45 Member
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    I walk about 30 mins (round trip) to work so I put those in since it would be counted as mine is set at sedentary.
  • Louiselesley
    Louiselesley Posts: 166 Member
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    I always add in anything 'extra' to my day. My daily life is pretty much sitting in front of a computer or sitting in another form so when i actually move it's a total change from my day-to-day burn.
  • Jaradel
    Jaradel Posts: 143 Member
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    My actual cardio time spent at the gym, and anything outside my typical day where I am breaking a sweat and breathing hard. Today, I spent 2 hours gardening. If I am just pulling stray weeds, I don't count it. Today, though, it was trimming and yanking and pulling and shoveling and I was sweating and exhausted so I counted it. I consider most other household chores to be part of my typical day.

    Same here - I spent 90 minutes weeding and mulching, and I wore my HRM while I was doing it so I could see how many calories I burned (almost 350). But my normal housework, going up and downstairs with laundry, etc. I don't count. I figure that's just gravy ;)
  • katbass
    katbass Posts: 351 Member
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    Like most others commenting here, I only count actual, true, planned exercise that goes above and beyond my normal, daily routines. Anything that happens to burn off as a result of chasing my toddler, running to catch the garbage man, or participating in my daughter's toddler gym class is just a "bonus burn". It may not count towards my exercise calories, and I dont get any extra calories to eat, but it surely isnt hurting me in the long run. :)
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    FWIW, I wrote this on the subject a while back. Some may find it has some useful information:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Azdak/view/activities-to-log-or-not-to-log-57883
  • KnittingKat
    KnittingKat Posts: 12
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    I count only planned exercise unless it is a day spent out doing something.

    If I spend the weekend camping I won't be doing actual exercise, but I figure spending an hour hiking while carrying a child plus the rest of the day moving almost non-stop I need to eat a bit extra.

    I will count an hour of cleaning as exercise if I have spent the day reorganizing closets and taking all of the out grown clothes down stairs or a similar activity.

    Most of the time I don't log exercise anyway, I have a hard enough time logging all of my food on here. I keep a note on my phone with what I have eaten.
  • sarastark86
    sarastark86 Posts: 9
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    Great... thanks all... sounds like I am doing more or less the same thing as everyone else then, logging 'formal' exercise activities and things like 2 hours cleaning the house or gardening, which aren't that frequent an occurrence ;)
  • dls06
    dls06 Posts: 6,774 Member
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    Actual planned exercise.
  • sarahlasvegas
    sarahlasvegas Posts: 73 Member
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    When i put my workout gear on for me, be it going for an extra long walk or to the gym - houseowrk/gardening etc are things ive always done before.
  • Dianefhw
    Dianefhw Posts: 3
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    My activity level is set to sedentary. I count climbing the stairs at work and walking the dog, in addition to what I do at the gym. I find that logging the stair climbs and dog walks encourages me to do them more often. The calorie burn is low but due to lifestyle changes I can't get to the gym as often as I used to, so I need every little bit.
  • CARNAT22
    CARNAT22 Posts: 764 Member
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    I walk 40 minutes per day and I include them as I walk fast and always try to improve my time etc...

    If I have a mammoth clean [scrubbing fllors, heavy hoovering etc] then I'll include that.

    Basically I include anything that works up a real sweat..
  • Elizabeth_C34
    Elizabeth_C34 Posts: 6,376 Member
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    I usually only count my actual workouts. The rest is a bonus :)
  • CarolineT82
    CarolineT82 Posts: 71
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    I do a 2 mile walk at lunch time (helpfully, my work site has a ring road around it which is a mile!), so I count this. I'm not very good at going to the gym or wii fitting or anything but that's the only other exercise I would put in.

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