could I count walking at work as exercise

Just wanted to know if I could count walking at work as exercise..I do zumba everyday but I was just curious about work.

Replies

  • I bought a pedometer to see how much I do walk at work because I work in a medical office and my patient rooms are at the VERY BACK of the clinic, figured out that I walk about 3 miles a day JUST at work. So yeah I count it- use the 2-3mph walk bc it's not always a very brisk walk (since I am walking with 70-90 year olds :) )
  • brendarun
    brendarun Posts: 26
    if it was a brisk walk then you could count it as exercise x
  • ALISHAWILLIAMSON
    ALISHAWILLIAMSON Posts: 57 Member
    ABSOLUTELY:happy: !!! Every step counts. I'll be honest...I don't like to get all sweaty when I can't fit in a shower, so I like to just walk sometimes. It doesn't burn a ton of calories, but put a quick 15 min walk into to MFP and see how many calories you'll burn...I'll bet it's enough to make up for that extra bite of ....something!:laugh:
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
    It would depend on how your have your MFP settings set to -
    if set at sedentary - then yes I would log it if you feel it's a significant amount
    if set at lightly active or active - then I would not log it as your calorie calculation is based on the fact that you are leading an active lifestyle
  • laceylou0702
    laceylou0702 Posts: 226 Member
    I have a very active part time job & I log that as exercise I don't always eat back those calories though, I find if I'm really hungry when I'm done I'll have a nice snack afterwards.
  • saracatherine89
    saracatherine89 Posts: 291 Member
    I have to get up to pee at least 7x a day, and the potty is a bit of a hike from my desk. I made my activity level 'lightly active' as a result of that. Plus, our parking lot is a giant truck dock and its like a 2 block walk to the office...so I count that too! lol
  • Captain_Tightpants
    Captain_Tightpants Posts: 2,215 Member
    There are people on this site who have walked off over 100lbs. Walking is absolutely exercise.
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
    You could, but it would be a lot more advantageous (and easier) to just factor it into your activity level rather than manually adding it. I'd reserve "add exercise" for the times you are deliberately exercising
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
    There are people on this site who have walked off over 100lbs. Walking is absolutely exercise.


    Thumbs up on the Dr. Who pic. David Tennant is my favorite Doctor....although Matt Smith is not too bad:bigsmile:
  • DavidTri
    DavidTri Posts: 11 Member
    of course you can as you are burning calories. Good luck
  • Captain_Tightpants
    Captain_Tightpants Posts: 2,215 Member
    You could, but it would be a lot more advantageous (and easier) to just factor it into your activity level rather than manually adding it. I'd reserve "add exercise" for the times you are deliberately exercising

    That's a good point. I should have been clearer in my response. Walking "around" doing your daily thang... nah I don't bother counting that. But getting out for a straight focused 45 minute walk for intentional cal burn - counts.
  • Legals81
    Legals81 Posts: 81 Member
    You could, but it would be a lot more advantageous (and easier) to just factor it into your activity level rather than manually adding it. I'd reserve "add exercise" for the times you are deliberately exercising

    This. Don't try to justify to yourself that your doing exercise by walking around your office, count it in your activity level then when you're doing your zumba count that as exercise.
  • ncqueenbee
    ncqueenbee Posts: 147 Member
    Wouldn't that be like double dipping? Seems that would already be counted in your "Normal Daily Activity." You set this up when you answer questions in the Goals settings.
  • Leiki
    Leiki Posts: 526 Member
    I would only count walking at the office if you had some way to track it. I have a fit bit, and on some school days I walk only about half a mile, but on others I walk 5 miles. This can be a huge difference if you log it haphazardly.
  • oilsnjade
    oilsnjade Posts: 1
    I would think the "exercise" we get at work would count in our normal calories burned per day. After all, I've been doing this work for years and I'm the weight I am today in spite of it. Just sayin...
  • JennetteMac
    JennetteMac Posts: 763 Member
    There are people on this site who have walked off over 100lbs. Walking is absolutely exercise.

    Really glad you said that.
    I only really do daily stretching exercises and zumba once a week other than my walks (usually3-4mph). I would feel really guilty if walks didn't count.
  • zclark13
    zclark13 Posts: 135 Member
    I agree that it would make more sense to include that walking in your daily activity level, moving from sedentary to lightly active or from lightly active to moderately. I believe that one of the settings includes nurse as a descriptor. My personal rule of thumb is that if it's something that is part of my activities of daily life (walking around a classroom as a teacher, doing recess duty) then it isn't excercise. Which is why I count cleaning the house as excercise...I don't do it everyday, but when I do, I work up a sweat and get my heart going! Since it is summer break and I am no longer standing and walking around as much, I have ratcheted down my daily activity level.
  • melinda200208
    melinda200208 Posts: 525 Member
    I personally dont count it. If I went for a "walk" outside during my lunch, I would. But, if it is normal daily activity, I wouldn't. But, it is up to you. Yes, it is excersize but I would rather not count it unless I am "going for a walk"
  • melinda200208
    melinda200208 Posts: 525 Member
    I also know it is excersize when you clean your house, ect. But, I dont count it. I only count it when I am doing something for the excersize. I dont clean to excersize. But, everybody views it different. I just think it would be a lot to keep track of, calculate, and more calories to eat.
  • RealHealthQuest
    RealHealthQuest Posts: 42 Member
    I say don't log it and only log deliberate exercise. I am a city girl who walks everywhere. I could log it, but the way I figure it is that if I don't it will be a pleasant 'surprise' to see the scale go down that much faster. If I am doing a brisk walk as my exercise for the day then I will log it.
  • JennetteMac
    JennetteMac Posts: 763 Member
    There are people on this site who have walked off over 100lbs. Walking is absolutely exercise.


    Thumbs up on the Dr. Who pic. David Tennant is my favorite Doctor....although Matt Smith is not too bad:bigsmile:


    Agree with Dr Who pic. David Tennent is kind of cool.
  • Zkinkel
    Zkinkel Posts: 13
    Walking is so great for you! Being outside as much as possible is also great... that being said...
    1. try to walk faster and get that heart rate up
    2. realize that if weight loss is a goal of yours controling your food intake is 80% of what it will take to lose weight
    (think about this... to lose 1 M&M you have to walk the entire length of a football field)
  • Stalh
    Stalh Posts: 14
    Not sure if it counts either. I work in a deli and I bought a pedometer watch, I was shocked that on the typical day I walk 12 miles. Should I change my settings to waitress level?
  • Chriztii
    Chriztii Posts: 94
    Yes! I count my 3 hour shift as exercise when I work because I am always walking fast, stocking shelves, lifting and squatting haha.
  • JDBLY11
    JDBLY11 Posts: 577 Member
    Just wanted to know if I could count walking at work as exercise..I do zumba everyday but I was just curious about work.

    If you track how long you walk with a pedometer or something you definitely can. My dad used to do that. He would walk miles a day at work.
  • JDBLY11
    JDBLY11 Posts: 577 Member
    It would depend on how your have your MFP settings set to -
    if set at sedentary - then yes I would log it if you feel it's a significant amount
    if set at lightly active or active - then I would not log it as your calorie calculation is based on the fact that you are leading an active lifestyle

    That's true.
  • LovelyDayDay
    LovelyDayDay Posts: 17 Member
    girl i have a HRM and i do zumba everyday and walk 1 hour 15 minutes when i started i lost 8lbs in 2weeks, youll see results fast when you do both!
  • ncthomas09
    ncthomas09 Posts: 322 Member
    I do but I have my settings at sedentary. The reason is because some nights I am glued to my desk but others I am running all over the place. If I was always running around at work I wouldn't.

    ETA: I work in a hospital and my office is on the opposite side of the hospital as the patient rooms...on a slow night i walk about a half mile but on my busy nights I walk 3+ miles. And since each day is so drastically different for me and even week to week it seems my activity level changes based on patient volume I just wear a pedometer and call it good.
  • pugsleyjean
    pugsleyjean Posts: 135 Member
    Im in the hospitality business so Im always on the move. Walking anywhere from 2-8 miles a day at work is normal and always count it as excersie.
  • LJCannon
    LJCannon Posts: 3,636 Member
    :drinker: I use "Walking at Work" frequently as an Exercise but I only count the Minutes/Steps when I am walking for over 10 minutes uninterrupted at a Brisk Pace -- usually when my Client is sleeping or a Therapist or Nurse is with her.