How sedentary is sedentary?

hphurley
hphurley Posts: 14 Member
edited September 30 in Fitness and Exercise
So I want to know whether people include "walking" in their exercise log? Does the sedentary profile account for some minimal amount of walking each day? I am just new and I know I'm supposed to eat back exercise calories, but I don't want to eat more than I'm supposed to.
I walk my dog each morning for about 50 minutes (and at a pretty leisurely pace, I might add - 3.16 km total walk - about 3.8km/h or 2.3 mi/h).
What do you think? Should I log it or not?

Replies

  • tlahuiltzin
    tlahuiltzin Posts: 42 Member
    Log it!!! :) I usually only eat half my exercise calories if any.
  • Cassaaaaandra
    Cassaaaaandra Posts: 184 Member
    I only log it if it is purposeful exercise.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    I work on the basis that any walking/exercise you did BEFORE you were interested in a healthier lifestyle, DONT add. for example, walking to the bus stop, walking round the office, walking the dog, cleaning, mowing the lawn. if i do it anyway, regardless of my weight, i dont add it.
  • TanajaP
    TanajaP Posts: 57 Member
    i only eat my exercise calories if i'm hungry. the weeks i've tried eating them all i've gained every single time. i'd say that's probably because i have 50 pounds to loose so my body doesn't need it all now.


    moving is moving regardless =) i log my heavy cleaning days since i only do them about once or twice a month. but my normal everyday cleaning i don't log since it's not that difficult
  • 27strange
    27strange Posts: 837 Member
    I work on the basis that any walking/exercise you did BEFORE you were interested in a healthier lifestyle, DONT add. for example, walking to the bus stop, walking round the office, walking the dog, cleaning, mowing the lawn. if i do it anyway, regardless of my weight, i dont add it.

    I like this! If it was part of your routine before you started MFP or living a healthier lifestyle then you probably shouldn't count it. For example, I mowed the yard before joining MFP and still gained weight. So mowing the yard now is not a contributing force to my weight loss or healthier lifestyle choices. I would be mowing regardless.
  • Log it! Most people drive to work, sit at a desk, drive home, and watch TV. That's sedentary. Walking for nearly an hour at a moderate pace is not sedentary. It's a calorie-burning activity that you should count. I count my commute to and from work every day (2.6 miles round-trip walking). I add about 150 extra calories to my budget per day from the walking, and I have been steadily losing weight.
  • hphurley
    hphurley Posts: 14 Member
    Thanks so much for your replies!
  • bhurley1424
    bhurley1424 Posts: 927 Member
    I log it if it's a longer walk; even if it's leisurely. I figure if I'm burning calories I should log it, I have and HRM so I can tell.

    BTW - like your user name. Take a look at mine --- :smile:
  • McKayMachina
    McKayMachina Posts: 2,670 Member
    I have mine set at sedentary. I don't log any walking I do around the house or the property with the dogs. But I log when I take bike rides, even if it's only 10 minutes round-trip to and from the grocery store. And I don't log walking in the grocery store.

    I spend 90% of my waking hours at a desk right now, so yeah...I am definitely sedentary.
  • hummzz
    hummzz Posts: 385 Member
    I only include walking if its outside my normal daily activities. Walking the dog for 50 minutes would be exercise to me, but I also include calisthetics in my dog walking. Also when I go to the baseball games we park about 8 blocks away so I also log that walking. When we go fishing we hike in about 15 minutes each way with tackle, backpacks, chairs and what not so I also log that, but if I'm grocery shopping...I don't log that walking unless I"m on a marathon shopping trip where I'm walking all day.
  • hphurley
    hphurley Posts: 14 Member

    Thanks! This link is exactly what I was wondering about! It's not accounted for in my profile, so I *should* account for it.
  • hphurley
    hphurley Posts: 14 Member
    I log it if it's a longer walk; even if it's leisurely. I figure if I'm burning calories I should log it, I have and HRM so I can tell.

    BTW - like your user name. Take a look at mine --- :smile:

    Hurleys unite!! :)
  • kathleennf
    kathleennf Posts: 606 Member
    I log everything that I don't include in my "activity level" .
    What you describe I would log as "walking slowly."
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