Non-traditional exercise?

TurningBackTheHandsOfTime
TurningBackTheHandsOfTime Posts: 47 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I wonder how many people add non traditional methods of exercise to their daily routine, I consider manual labor whether it be mowing the lawn with a push mower to building, digging, planting or shoveling as well as many other tasks as exercise that should be measured toward your daily goals, ids this wrong headed? I wear an HRM when doing these tasks so I can record them am I the only one that sees this as exercise? Thanks for any feedback! :)

Replies

  • Malaika946
    Malaika946 Posts: 107 Member
    For me any chore which is not my daily chore is exercise like gardening
  • iKapuniai
    iKapuniai Posts: 594 Member
    I believe it could be considered exercise, but for me personally, I wouldn't actually log it unless I'm going at it for a at least few hours and sweating up a storm with a consistent racing heart rate. That's just me though. I think it'll definitely assist you in losing weight if that's your goal, but I wouldn't necessarily log it.
  • cervenec
    cervenec Posts: 64
    I think if you have your goal settings set to "sedentary" it would count as exercise.
  • caraiselite
    caraiselite Posts: 2,631 Member
    I think if you have your goal settings set to "sedentary" it would count as exercise.


    this.

    i sit on my *kitten* all day, so anything i do for longer than 15 mins (like cleaning) i count.
  • TurningBackTheHandsOfTime
    TurningBackTheHandsOfTime Posts: 47 Member
    Interesting replies so far, I see a pattern let's see if it continues...
  • rose313
    rose313 Posts: 1,146 Member
    I set MFP to sedentary so in my case, stuff like that definitely counts as exercise. If it's something you do daily and your goals are set to active, then you would only count the times you exercise above and beyond that. I count stuff like playing volleyball outdoors, playing basketball, washing/vaccuuming my car, heavy scrubbing and cleaning as exercise if it gets my heart rate up and if I break a sweat. If I don't do it for a long time or don't feel like I'm exercising I don't count it.
  • AZKristi
    AZKristi Posts: 1,801 Member
    It depends on your settings. If you told MFP you were sedentary it is appropriate to add these things back as exercise. If you told MFP you were very active, you are probably double counting those calories if you count them as exercise.
  • TurningBackTheHandsOfTime
    TurningBackTheHandsOfTime Posts: 47 Member
    I see what you mean now< if I normally do activity BUT have my settings set to sedentary ...it's cheating the process of calculation in the MFP system regardless if I am actually burning those calories.... That is what I wanted to know Thanks! :)
  • angrodriguez92
    angrodriguez92 Posts: 193 Member
    Everyone is right about the MFP setting you chose.

    I think it is important to have daily recreational exercise. I'm not always going to count it if I go to the river to swim with friends or go for a bike ride to the store or play with my dog at the park. Those things should be just another part of a healthy lifestyle, working out and playing are both important. The harder you workout, the more fun you can have playing. If you have worked outside all day and you are too tired to do your normal workout routine, go ahead and record it, but it gets a little excessive if you are like, "played tag with my kids- 63", "washed my car- 72", "took a two hour nap- 100". Everything burns calories. I also think age is a factor. If I were 50 years old, I would log mowing the lawn as exercise. However, I'm 19 and I should be active as much as possible during the day.
  • TurningBackTheHandsOfTime
    TurningBackTheHandsOfTime Posts: 47 Member
    Good point on the age factor, I was so active when I was 19 I didn't need to worry about it but over time if you don't make a concerted effort that activity can wane over time....

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