At what point do I stop counting repetitive exercise?

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Merithyn
Merithyn Posts: 284 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I do not have a car, so I walk... a lot. I also walk during my morning and afternoon breaks. On average, I walk about 70 minutes every day but Sunday at about 3.25mph getting my heart rate up to my fat burn level. (I don't count my walking unless I get my heart rate up, otherwise the amount would be more like 110 minutes of walking every day, including Sunday.)

Because I've done this for months now, should I stop counting it as calories burned? I know my body has become very used to it, but then, those who run often also can claim the same. I'm just not sure how to figure when to stop counting it. I would assume that since I'm getting my heart rate up I can still count it, but I've heard that at a certain point your muscles become too efficient and it no longer has any benefit.

Thoughts?

Replies

  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,229 Member
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    Great question. I've wondered this myself. Bumping so you can maybe get an answer.
  • ShifuYaku
    ShifuYaku Posts: 504 Member
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    Bump, I'd like to know, too. :)
  • Merithyn
    Merithyn Posts: 284 Member
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    Seems like a common question. :smile:
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
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    I had this dilemma too! I work in the city and walk A LOT! I have my profile setting set at sedentary though because I have a desk job. That way I always log my 2 mile walk to and from the train station daily as exercise (in addition to the 'real exercise' I do at the gym lol). And also if I walk my entire lunch hour I'll include that too. I do err on the conservative side of how much I actually burned doing this tho.....I feel my body is so used to walking that I best underestimate the number. You have to play with the numbers a bit to eventually find something that works. But I would say...if you're doing the walking...log it!!!

    Out of curiosity I wore my pedometer today because I plan on walking on my lunch hour too (it's gorgeous in Chicago today!!).
  • LindseyRoot
    LindseyRoot Posts: 50
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    i would say it would depend on whay your "activity" level is set one...if your daily walking is figured into that then i wouldnt count it as extra..and if it's not maybe it is time to change your activity settings so that it is that way you goals will be adjusted accordingly and you don't have to log your walking everyday. :)
  • Merithyn
    Merithyn Posts: 284 Member
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    I had this dilemma too! I work in the city and walk A LOT! I have my profile setting set at sedentary though because I have a desk job. That way I always log my 2 mile walk to and from the train station daily as exercise (in addition to the 'real exercise' I do at the gym lol). And also if I walk my entire lunch hour I'll include that too. I do err on the conservative side of how much I actually burned doing this tho.....I feel my body is so used to walking that I best underestimate the number. You have to play with the numbers a bit to eventually find something that works. But I would say...if you're doing the walking...log it!!!

    Out of curiosity I wore my pedometer today because I plan on walking on my lunch hour too (it's gorgeous in Chicago today!!).

    I've started wearing my pedometer recently, too. I log about 21,000 steps daily, including my time on the treadmill. I've also found that my calories burned differs greatly on the treadmill than on MFP, so I've started adjusting the calories accordingly.
  • Merithyn
    Merithyn Posts: 284 Member
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    i would say it would depend on whay your "activity" level is set one...if your daily walking is figured into that then i wouldnt count it as extra..and if it's not maybe it is time to change your activity settings so that it is that way you goals will be adjusted accordingly and you don't have to log your walking everyday. :)

    That's a good idea. I will likely keep things as they are, though, because I do take Sundays off whenever possible. Plus, I like to see how much walking I do and logging it helps me do so. Thank you, though!
  • iLoveMyPitbull1225
    iLoveMyPitbull1225 Posts: 1,690 Member
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    Im not sure I have a intelligent answer, but I have seen questions similar to this and I think that it relates to the activity level that you set when you make your profile and goals. If you indicate that you have a high level of activity in your daily routine, then all of that walking is pretty much counted in your daily allottment. But, this is the general feeling that I have gotten from other posts and replies.
  • Saiklor
    Saiklor Posts: 183
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    Theoretically, one could judge whether or not the higher levels were accurate by comparing the calories permitted if you set it to that higher level to the calories permitted if you set it to the lowest level and logged your daily stuff? Shouldn't that be the same? And if they are, just set it higher and then save yourself the logging time?
  • LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo
    LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo Posts: 3,634 Member
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    Like any other exercise, when we are getting used to do the same workout, our body will become more efficient to it & thus saving more calories making us burn less. Instead of counting your exercise like 70 minutes a day, lower it like 60 minutes. However time will come that you'll be needing to do some extra tasks to compensate it.

    My advice to you & also to those who bumped is get your body to move more if you want to achieve the same calories burned. Instead of just walking 3.5mph everyday, you can swap some days doing 4.0mph or do some extra tasks like walking in a farther distance from the usual one you're doing. However log it as what you're doing before, as 70 minutes walking instead of logging all of those extra movements.
  • ThatsNotMine
    ThatsNotMine Posts: 75 Member
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    I live in a large city and walk all the time. I try for at least 5miles a day (broken out between prework, lunch, and after work). I've been doinig this for years.

    I keep my activity level at Sedatary and log all my walking. I just like to see that I've done something though. Logging the walks feels nice!
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
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    Change your settings so your activity level is "Lightly Active: Spend a good part of the day on your feet (e.g. nurse, salesman)" and don't count incidental walking. I walk at least an hour each day including to and from work but only track my lunchtime power-walks or a hefty dreadmill high-elevation session. 4mph is fast! :noway:
  • Merithyn
    Merithyn Posts: 284 Member
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    Okay. So I changed my activity level to Lightly Active and deleted the mild walking I do regularly. Somehow, that didn't change my calorie base from 1200, but whatever. I've given up trying to understand all of this.:grumble:
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
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    Okay. So I changed my activity level to Lightly Active and deleted the mild walking I do regularly. Somehow, that didn't change my calorie base from 1200, but whatever. I've given up trying to understand all of this.:grumble:
    WTH? For 1lb a week? Must be something wrong. This isn't helping us persuade you to eat more :explode:
  • Merithyn
    Merithyn Posts: 284 Member
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    WTH? For 1lb a week? Must be something wrong. This isn't helping us persuade you to eat more :explode:

    My diary is open. Check to see if I did it wrong?

    EDIT: I did it wrong. I had it set at 2 pounds per week. Now I have an extra 210 calories a day to eat. Pass the wine?
  • WEB3
    WEB3 Posts: 121 Member
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    Use this site to determine your activity level and adjust your calories from there.
    http://calorieline.com/tools/tdee
    Once your weightloss seems to plateau, then either up your activity level or lower your calories. Your metabolism will readjust accordingly.
  • MoveTheMountain
    MoveTheMountain Posts: 764
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    What really matters is your heart rate. I suggest wearing a HRM during several of your walks and figure out the average impact to your heart rate. Once you know that, you'll know how much it's doing for you. If your HR jumps up 5 bpm, you're not getting much out of it. It it jumps 35 bpm, that's better, etc. But until you know how hard you're actually working, there's no way to tell how much you're benefiting from the exercise.
  • Matiara
    Matiara Posts: 377 Member
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    I've thought about this as well. Just how efficient does the body get?

    I don't own a car and walk/bus everywhere. I live a mile away from my office. In the spring and summer months, I walk to and from work. In the fall and winter, I take the bus to work because it's dark in the morning, but I walk home. I have been doing this for six years, so my body is definitely used to the walk. However, the last quarter mile of my walk is uphill on a fairly steep grade and that hill burns the heck out of my legs and gets me out of breath. It has not become an easy climb in the 10 years I've been living there. On top of that, I carry a backpack that has to weigh 3-5 pounds.

    I don't really count the calories that I burn from my walking commute toward anything, so it's really an academic question. I doubt you can do something so much that you would burn zero calories, but I do wonder where the 'bottom" is.

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