calories burned mowing grass

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slightner
slightner Posts: 61 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Yesterday I mowed our lawn, which is 3/4 acre with 1 big and 2 small hills. It takes me about 3 hours, and when i entered it it said I earned 1452 calories. Could that possibly be right? I didnt eat any of the calories, but I was just thinking of starting to mow all of the neighbors yards if that is right LOL :)

Replies

  • symphonika
    symphonika Posts: 107 Member
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    It could be... get a HRM and see if it is :]
  • Krohnie
    Krohnie Posts: 286 Member
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    I actually just got a garmin with a hrm and I told my husband NOT to mow the lawn, he needs to save it for me, so I can see how far I walk and how many calories I burn. I'm kind of excited for it!! Our lawn usually only takes an hour to mow though, so it's much smaller than yours!
  • Laurayinz
    Laurayinz Posts: 909 Member
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    Was it a push mower, or a self-propelled? did you work up a sweat and get your heart beating really well for the entire 3 hours?
  • ameyc2002
    ameyc2002 Posts: 247 Member
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    i usually push mow my grass.. i have a huge yard but only go out for like an hour at a time, i think it says i burn like 450 or something like that so sounds close since your out there 3 hours on a push mower.. isnt it a nice burnnnn
  • bethdris
    bethdris Posts: 1,090 Member
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    It depends on a few factors...Your weight now, the heaiver you are the more cals you will burn. Personally MFP numbers where higher than my actual, when I got an HRM. MFP's numbers are estimates, b/c everyone is different.

    I did however burn 300 cals mowing our 1/4 acre "hayfield" a few weeks ago. That was according to my HRM>
  • fbmandy55
    fbmandy55 Posts: 5,263 Member
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    When I mow our yard (about) 25 mins) it says I burn around 300. I am CONFIDENT that is correct. If I burn a little less than that on a 30 min walk and push mowing is about 4x the effort of walking, I know it's a good burn.

    As long as you aren't on a riding mower, I would say that sound accurate.
  • CallMeMamaBoo
    CallMeMamaBoo Posts: 295
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    I mow my yard with a push mower...our yard is 1.5 acres ON A HILL!!! I wear my heart rate monitor...it takes me about 2 1/2 hours and I burn anywhere between 1000-1200 calories according to my HRM. I would say that MFP is pretty accurate. I use this as my Saturday workout...because it's productive and someone needs to do it! lol
  • Disinte_GratioN
    Disinte_GratioN Posts: 60
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    NICE!!! I need to go mow right now!
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    Yesterday I mowed our lawn, which is 3/4 acre with 1 big and 2 small hills. It takes me about 3 hours, and when i entered it it said I earned 1452 calories. Could that possibly be right? I didnt eat any of the calories, but I was just thinking of starting to mow all of the neighbors yards if that is right LOL :)

    Seriously, look at all the people mowing lawns...all thin and fit?

    Kind of answers your question, doesn't it?
  • slightner
    slightner Posts: 61 Member
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    I think it is self propelled, my heart was beating hard and it was 85 and humpid so I was definitely sweating. I don't doubt it was a good work out, but that many calories seems crazy!
  • slightner
    slightner Posts: 61 Member
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    Thank you everyone! I will be looking into getting a HRM, but I think I will continue to ignore the extra calories it gives me to eat and just may have to mow twice a week now! :)
  • dianalburns1
    dianalburns1 Posts: 1
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    I mowed 60 mins with a self-propelled mower. My yard is on a slight slope and I mow lengthwise up and down. Counted 400 calories burned. Any comments? Oh and since my daily goal is only 1200 calories, you can bet I'm eating it back.
  • Nekrachael
    Nekrachael Posts: 74 Member
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    I mow a similar amount to what you describe, but I only eat half the calories. I now also make sure not to mow more than an hour on days I run. I can DEFINITELY feel that I've been mowing about half way into 50 minutes of running. I figure that is a pretty good indication that I was doing something when I was mowing.

    My mower is not self-propelled.
  • aliwhalen
    aliwhalen Posts: 150 Member
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    Mowing is hard work. I only have 1/3 of an acre, all on a hill and it takes me about 45 minutes. I think MFP said something like 300 calories for me, 5'4" 150ish pounds. I ate back about half the calories, but mostly just drank 32 ounces of ice water when I was done :)

    Edited for typo.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
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    Yesterday I mowed our lawn, which is 3/4 acre with 1 big and 2 small hills. It takes me about 3 hours, and when i entered it it said I earned 1452 calories. Could that possibly be right? I didnt eat any of the calories, but I was just thinking of starting to mow all of the neighbors yards if that is right LOL :)

    Zero. It takes me an hour to mow my back and another 40 to mow the front. Total burn: zero. It's not exercise, it's a chore, and it's a chore we have all been doing prior to deciding to lose weight, so it's already taken into account with our activity level.
  • Rose6300
    Rose6300 Posts: 232 Member
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    Yesterday I mowed our lawn, which is 3/4 acre with 1 big and 2 small hills. It takes me about 3 hours, and when i entered it it said I earned 1452 calories. Could that possibly be right? I didnt eat any of the calories, but I was just thinking of starting to mow all of the neighbors yards if that is right LOL :)

    Zero. It takes me an hour to mow my back and another 40 to mow the front. Total burn: zero. It's not exercise, it's a chore, and it's a chore we have all been doing prior to deciding to lose weight, so it's already taken into account with our activity level.

    That really depends on how you set your activity level. If you didn't consider your weekly mowing, these are extra calories burned.
  • MBrothers22
    MBrothers22 Posts: 323 Member
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    Yesterday I mowed our lawn, which is 3/4 acre with 1 big and 2 small hills. It takes me about 3 hours, and when i entered it it said I earned 1452 calories. Could that possibly be right? I didnt eat any of the calories, but I was just thinking of starting to mow all of the neighbors yards if that is right LOL :)

    Zero. It takes me an hour to mow my back and another 40 to mow the front. Total burn: zero. It's not exercise, it's a chore, and it's a chore we have all been doing prior to deciding to lose weight, so it's already taken into account with our activity level.

    Totally agree. It's just making excuses to eat more.

    I bet all the people who do this and log EVERYTHING as exercise are the same ones wondering why they aren't losing weight.
  • Rose6300
    Rose6300 Posts: 232 Member
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    Yesterday I mowed our lawn, which is 3/4 acre with 1 big and 2 small hills. It takes me about 3 hours, and when i entered it it said I earned 1452 calories. Could that possibly be right? I didnt eat any of the calories, but I was just thinking of starting to mow all of the neighbors yards if that is right LOL :)

    Zero. It takes me an hour to mow my back and another 40 to mow the front. Total burn: zero. It's not exercise, it's a chore, and it's a chore we have all been doing prior to deciding to lose weight, so it's already taken into account with our activity level.

    Totally agree. It's just making excuses to eat more.

    I bet all the people who do this and log EVERYTHING as exercise are the same ones wondering why they aren't losing weight.

    Gonna take a wild guess here and guess you weren't a math major in college. Calories in is food. Calories out is activity. Whether you call it exercise or chores, if you are exerting yourself above the calories out "base" you used (usually TDEE minus something) to project out your weight loss, that is additional calories burned. You can choose to eat them or not eat them, it is true. But they are actually burned. Whether you mowed the lawn when you were eating 6,000 calories a day is irrelevant.

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