My experiment and discovery

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robin52077
robin52077 Posts: 4,383 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Background:
I wear a BodyMediaFit 24/7.
I burn 2000-2400 on a typical work day but only about 1600 on my days off.
Usually at 5 PM on a work day I am up to about 1700.

Today was a typical work day but it's 5 PM and I am almost up to 2200 already!

Average METs are usually 2.2-2.4...today the average MET per minute was 3!

How did I burn so much more just doing what I normally do?

I'll tell you.
I wore ankle weights all day! (2.5 lbs on each leg, 5 lbs total)
I was wondering if it would work but I am exhausted and starving and my legs feel like they do after I run 5K!

I wouldn't suggest it ALL the time but I am for sure going to wear them on my days off, so that low burn can get closer to my work-day burn.

My real plan was to just wear them all day so I would feel weighed down, then take them off before I hit the treadmill to feel lighter and run faster, but now I am so tired and starving I can't run..lol...I feel like I ran all day!

I will try the "before run" thing, but I will wear them for 1 hour before I hit the treadmill so I get used to the weight and feel the difference but not be so worn out!

Replies

  • lindsyrox
    lindsyrox Posts: 257 Member
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    Thats pretty interesting!
    Do you feel it in your joints at all? seems like carrying extra weight on your feet would affect your knees.
  • Shweedog
    Shweedog Posts: 883 Member
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    I now really want some ankle weights!
  • Hernandezedw
    Hernandezedw Posts: 284
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    Do you have a job where you walk around all day? I'm kind of curious how this would affect me. I'm sedentary mostly.
  • Oishii
    Oishii Posts: 2,675 Member
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    Just think... 5 lb extra weight can make you that much tireder..... No wonder it's so hard to get started with exercise when you're overweight.
  • JennLifts
    JennLifts Posts: 1,913 Member
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    wow! I would feel like a total dork wearing them, but that's interesting!
  • Mr_C
    Mr_C Posts: 16
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    good facts...

    I had concidered wearing ankle weights when jogging with my wife (so I would get a more vigerous workout going at her pace). All the research I did said not to do it because our joints are not made to have wieghts pulling on them like that.

    Having said that, I think that doing it at work, or around the house, or something less intense than jogging probably isn't a bad idea.
  • robin52077
    robin52077 Posts: 4,383 Member
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    lindsyrox - I have bad ankles AND knees and surprisingly it didn't affect me (yet. if it does tomorrow I'll let you know, some things take time to kick in, after sleep or whatnot)

    Jenn - We have to wear jeans at work. Nobody ever knew.

    Hernandezedw - yes, I manage and run a Dunkin Donuts. I am GO GO GO from 4AM till noon most days, then I collapse at my desk till 3 and then go home.

    Mr_C - I didn't do any research at all. You may be right, it may be horrible for me, I didn't think to check. I really thought it wouldn't bother me and just make me feel lighter when I took them off. I'm shocked I burned so much more.
  • hpsnickers1
    hpsnickers1 Posts: 2,783 Member
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    lindsyrox - I have bad ankles AND knees and surprisingly it didn't affect me (yet. if it does tomorrow I'll let you know, some things take time to kick in, after sleep or whatnot)

    Jenn - We have to wear jeans at work. Nobody ever knew.

    Hernandezedw - yes, I manage and run a Dunkin Donuts. I am GO GO GO from 4AM till noon most days, then I collapse at my desk till 3 and then go home.

    Mr_C - I didn't do any research at all. You may be right, it may be horrible for me, I didn't think to check. I really thought it wouldn't bother me and just make me feel lighter when I took them off. I'm shocked I burned so much more.

    Holy crap you run a Dunkin Donuts!!!??? But I guess when you're around it all day they aren't quite as appetizing (and I'm a Krispy Kreme-er myself - oh it's been a loooooong time). But I love their coffee. I have a desk job but can manage to get in about 5000 steps a day. I noticed that I can burn a lot more if I am typing all day as opposed to moving the mouse around. It gets logged as moderate activity. This is interesting, though.

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