Daily Exercise question!!

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ElizIvory
ElizIvory Posts: 141 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello!

So I work at what is considered a desk job at a large university. I do tend to walk around a bit, but those aren't the steps I'm concerned about. I have myself listed as sedentary because I am often stuck at a computer etc. My question is everyday I walk to the train (about .5/.75 of a mile) and then walk back. So I walk a minimum of about 1-2 miles a day (I am really not sure how far as my phone calculates it differently every single day :P Google says it is .75)

I am rambling, I apologize. My question is, should I track these walks? They are normally a semi brisk pace (I have some sweat on my brow at the end) and take about 15-20 minutes depending on traffic and cross walks. I have been tracking them as cardiovascular exercise but I don't have a great way to track except an app on my phone that sometimes considers me standing on the train as walking.

Also any recommendations for good free apps to track steps on an android? I don't have samsung health.

I think my diary is open, if you need to see what I'm eating along with this. I've struggled with my weight most of my life but haven't gained back any of the weight I've lost the last 3 years, just a slow slow trend down that I'm trying to speed up a bit :)

Replies

  • CarvedTones
    CarvedTones Posts: 2,340 Member
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    Lots of tracking apps, but you need to turn them off when you get on the train. MapMyWalk is the one from the same folks (UnderArmor) that provide mfp. Strava is good.
  • ElizIvory
    ElizIvory Posts: 141 Member
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    Okay the one I have currently is meant to run in the background to track all steps etc. I want something similar so that I know how far/close I am to the 10k step goal, I may need to just splurge and get a fit bit
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,728 Member
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    ElizIvory wrote: »
    Okay the one I have currently is meant to run in the background to track all steps etc. I want something similar so that I know how far/close I am to the 10k step goal, I may need to just splurge and get a fit bit

    I'd encourage you to get a step tracker. Additionally, I'd suggest looking into the Garmin line of products.
  • collectingblues
    collectingblues Posts: 2,541 Member
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    I have a similar situation -- I park 3/4 of a mile away from my office, and walk from my garage there. Runkeeper sometimes pulls it over through pocket tracker, but for me, it's not really enough of a calorie burn to worry about.
  • jls1leather
    jls1leather Posts: 68 Member
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    "everyday I walk to the train (about .5/.75 of a mile) and then walk back. So I walk a minimum of about 1-2 miles a day"

    AWESOME 😀. Walking is great in a number of ways. And I like to see people ACTUALLY walk better than treadmill walk. Actual walk causes you to use the muscle to propel yourself forward / treadmill more of moving your feet to keep pace with the machine (less muscle activation).
  • richierodriquez
    richierodriquez Posts: 1 Member
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    Samsung Health should be available in the google play store. I actually have it and use it on my iPhone (I recently switched to Apple) so I know it's available for Android devices not matter the make.
  • ElizIvory
    ElizIvory Posts: 141 Member
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    collectingblues wrote: »
    I have a similar situation -- I park 3/4 of a mile away from my office, and walk from my garage there. Runkeeper sometimes pulls it over through pocket tracker, but for me, it's not really enough of a calorie burn to worry about.

    Yeah, it isn't that I feel like I need to track the calories as much as I just want to be accurate. I also, sometimes walk much more (see tuesday of this week when I and a few friends went to Mall of America, which whew, thats some walking!)
  • ElizIvory
    ElizIvory Posts: 141 Member
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    richierodriquez wrote: »
    Samsung Health should be available in the google play store. I actually have it and use it on my iPhone (I recently switched to Apple) so I know it's available for Android devices not matter the make.

    I will have to look, thanks!
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,898 Member
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    CarvedTones wrote: »
    Lots of tracking apps, but you need to turn them off when you get on the train. MapMyWalk is the one from the same folks (UnderArmor) that provide mfp. Strava is good.

    Oddly, the MapMy* app gives way more calories than the MFP database.

    For example, MapMyHike gave me 294 calories for something MFP's "Walking, 3.0 mph, mod. pace, walking dog" gave me 117 calories. This was on flat terrain.

    @ElizIvory I used to use a FitBit, but lost it and went back to time plus MFP exercise database entry with no problems.
  • ElizIvory
    ElizIvory Posts: 141 Member
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    I think I am going to redownload samsung health, I loved that app when I had my galaxy.
  • estherdragonbat
    estherdragonbat Posts: 5,283 Member
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    I don't have a tracking app, but I track every walk I take, including the 15-minute runs to the corner grocery. (I tried setting my activity level to lightly active at one point, but it threw me off, trying to figure out which walks were 'normal activity' and which were 'beyond and ought to be tracked', so I'm set to sedentary, track it all, and eat back half.
  • Gamliela
    Gamliela Posts: 2,468 Member
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    In my experience if the excersize is something I do most every day, and I can track it, like walking steps, its easier to just adjust my activity level and eat calories according to that. If something were to happen and I couldn't walk as much, I can just lower my activity level. I have looked into hooking it all up to mfp, but I'm ok with the way I'm doing it now. I'm a lover of habits and routines I guess.

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