exercise based off of?

ELBS717 · 01-14-2012, 03:16 PM

Hey All,
I'm keeping track of my exercise (which is just walking right now but will move into jogging shortly I think!), and as I'm entering my info into my handy-dandy Excel spreadsheet, I started wondering what people (as in you guys) keep track of/work towards when they're exercising.... mileage, minutes, or calories burned?
Thanks!
Curiously yours,
Erin

rocket pop · 01-14-2012, 03:34 PM

The thing that I focus on is minutes, because I'm just getting started exercising regularly. It's more important to me to just get out there and do it, and focus on intensity/distance when it has become a habit.

I don't track the calories burned through exercise, because calculations can be really inaccurate and I'm not exercising to 'make up' for or burn off extra calories. I'm doing it for fitness and health.

RRB2 · 01-14-2012, 03:38 PM

There are so many websites where you can keep track of your exercise.
Some a geared towards runners, some are general.
I;m not sure I'm allowed to post them here, though.

berryblondeboys · 01-14-2012, 03:39 PM

Last year I calculated by miles. This year by time. The reason for the change is that I don't always do the same activity and counting miles would be impossible in a lot of excise - like spinning, step aerobics, yoga, weight training, etc.

I don't do calories burned because I don't trust it and I don't eat back calories.

lin43 · 01-14-2012, 03:43 PM

I always focus on minutes. My goal is an hour of activity a day (I often get more than that). I put my all into any activity I do, so I know I'm giving it 100%, and if that means my miles/weights/calories burned increases, then fine, but I don't want the added pressure of reaching a certain level to be my goal. I know that some folks find it inspiring to set fitness goals (my sister is one of them). For right now, though, it works for me to keep it really simple.

Vortex_VVV · 01-14-2012, 05:02 PM

I count minutes as well, and my goal is also an hour a day. I set that goal based on the research that shows that those who successfully lose and maintain their loss exercise on average an hour a day. I haven't reached that 60 minute goal yet, but then I started at 10 minutes a day...

aliasihaya · 01-14-2012, 06:48 PM

I just do minutes. I'm happy if I can make 30 a day right now. I'm working towards more, but if I can do 30 it's more than none. I think that tracking calories burned would actually depress me more than not. Just because it's always lower than you'd think it would be. So I just focus on the fact that I did it.

linJber · 01-14-2012, 07:22 PM

I just try to get to the gym about 5 times a week. For a while I went every day, now it's usually Mon, Wed, Thurs, Sat, Sun. I do a 45 minute to 1 hour class and it's different every day. I was so completely compulsive about logging my weight that I was afraid to get too controlled in keeping track of exercise, too, so I just made sure I did something almost every day.

Most days I walk between 4,000 and 5,000 steps in the course of 8 hours at work, too.

I never counted calories burned because I was sure I'd eat them!

Lin

JohnP · 01-14-2012, 08:45 PM

I only measure results - and as long as I am progressing I feel good about it.

How fast can I run a 5k - how much can I squat - etc.

Rapunzel · 01-14-2012, 09:10 PM

Hey Awesome Twin!

I'm sure you're smart enough to not follow the "calories" burned on the treadmill, or any other exercise equipment. It's way too iffy. Even those calculators that tell you "how many calories you burn a day" are iffy and I don't trust them. There are way too many factors involved, and it's how many calories I burn based on what, exactly? My awesome-perfect-hyperactive NOT metabolism? Right.

I think when I was using my treadmill....and I swear I'll start again! I swear!.....I was going by distance, but still paid attention to the minutes. Meaning, I can start out by finishing a mile in 20 minutes, and work at finishing a mile in less and less time. IF I worked my time down on my mile (eventually), then I'd start going for more endurance and trying to go for a longer period of time, but paying attention to the distance so I know I'm keeping up the intensity and just build it up from there. I wonder if that makes sense to you?

ELBS717 · 01-16-2012, 11:01 AM

Hey Ape! We are probably the same weight now! I bet we'd look freakishly alike again. Stupid twin.
I'm not sure I have the nerve to bring the wii balance board back into the house, so I'm just going to ignore weighing myself until my Dr's appt next month. I hope it doesn't depress me. I'll be walking 2 miles to school and back 4 days a week at least.

juliana77 · 01-16-2012, 11:56 AM

I am a nerd so I look at all three.

My main goal is minutes, at least 30.
I like to get to 2 miles so I will go past 30 mins to get there if I was going at a slower pace.
I use a heart rate monitor to track calories. I don't eat any of them back these days, but it's a good way to monitor my effort and know when I need to kick up the intensity.

I log the minutes and the calories.

Eliana · 01-18-2012, 01:47 PM

I think I go for milage/weight first and minutes second. If I just went for minutes I could do a light walking pace or I could sprint.

Sometimes I have a minute goal I would like to reach and I work for milage within that time frame. For instance, sometimes it's my goal to run a 5K in 30 minutes.