Does shopping count as exercise?
 

What do you all think? I have been completely sedentary this summer, and today I went shopping while my car was being worked on. I am a teacher, and a grad student so during the year I dont have a second to think! Anway, this was the most physical anything I've had all summer! In my fitness pal I wasn't real sure how to track this. :)

I think it does! Honestly, it gets so hot here in the summer I use to go to the mall as my work out! I would push my daughter in the stroller and I am sure by the time all said was done I'd done several miles of walking (if not way more).

Not exercise, but it does count as NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) and that's also important. (I wouldn't eat those calories back though!)

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12468415

Hi Brittany. I definitely think it counts as exercise, especially since you are easing back into it after being sedentary for a while. And there are a lot of people who go mall walking specifically for exercise.

I think you obviously burn more calories doing that than you would sitting on the couch, but I hesitate to call it "exercise"...I guess it depends on your current state. I would think this is more you being active, than actually exercising. Just my .02.

yes!

To clarify my earlier comments.... personally I do not consider my shopping to be "exercise" -- but in this instance where someone has been completely sedentary for a long period of time and working their way back into it, I would count it. We are all at different stages of our weight loss journey; some can do a lot more, others less. If this is what you can do right now, I say log it and work your way up to where you can do more.

Doing *something* is the important thing -- and go from there.

I feel like it does... I know that sometimes I can really powershop the mall!

Any movement is better than none in my book.

I think it is. Dressing and undressing repeatedly.... got to be worth something.