"Light Active" - what exercises should I still count?

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AishaPhantasma
AishaPhantasma Posts: 8
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi all!
I'm just curious about what to count and what not to count when I do my diaries, since MFP lists activities like cleaning, preparing food, walking upstairs, etc. as exercise.

I put myself as light active because I generally do at least 20ish minutes of walking almost daily (to go to uni and back), and my house has stairs so I'll be up and down stairs every day even if I don't leave the house.

I cook my own food very regularly, so I never really count cooking/food prep unless I'm making something out of the ordinary like baking.
I only ever count walking upstairs if I do it outside of the house.

I've only started counting stretching in my exercise for the cool-down stretches after my new pole dancing class, but otherwise I never count it if it's just before/after a run or a yoga/pilates session at home.

I do always count my walks, though.

Regardless, I am ALWAYS within my 1200 intake limit, even if I earn extra calories from exercise.

So, my question is, should I be counting stretching, and my regular daily walks to school or not because they're already accounted for in Light Active?

What are all your thoughts on this? Am I over-counting calorie expenditure?

Thank you! :D

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    i wouldnt count them if you are light active.
  • jynxxxed
    jynxxxed Posts: 1,010 Member
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    Since you already included the walks initially, I wouldn't log them. I don't personally log cleaning, cooking etc and stick to just more rigorous physical activity, but that's just me. I know a lot of people like to log those things but I feel like I'm 'cheating' if I add them since it's just day to day living lol.
  • stina0t2
    stina0t2 Posts: 62 Member
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    Don't worry about logging time for stairs, cooking and cleaning.
    But if you're on a brisk walk to and from campus (or for me work) for over 20 minutes then log that.
  • mellabyte
    mellabyte Posts: 193 Member
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    I wouldn't count cooking, cleaning, etc, either. Unless it was something like, you moved and spent half the day unpacking, lifting boxes and carry stuff up and downstairs. Things that are not daily occurrences that cause you to break a sweat. :)
  • AishaPhantasma
    AishaPhantasma Posts: 8
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    I've only logged one cleaning session, because it was over an hour and it was my whole house, and included mopping, vacuuming, and hand washing, which are all cleaning activities I don't do regularly (don't judge me, I'm a busy girl!) and worked up a decent sweat while it's winter here. Otherwise if I'm doing my weekly room cleans, I never log them.

    I walk pretty fast to school, which is why I log it, but I don't count walks under 20 minutes and obviously don't count the walking around I'd do while grocery shopping and such because they're usually slow walks.

    That said, if I only do my usual to and from campus walk, I usually am under my calorie goal, mostly because I'm just not that hungry when I don't move much.

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