What do you count as exercise?
 

I only count what I officially set to do as exercise like a walk, weight lifting, swimming....

I clean/cook/garden a lot; I never count that.

What do you count as exercise?

Mod please correct the spelling of title :D

I only count intentional exercise - that is, exercise for the sake of exercise. I don't count cooking, cleaning my house, walking to and from work, etc. - I was doing all of these things before and obviously it wasn't enough! I do count walking the dog, since I walk him between 2 and 6 miles a day and I adopted our dog with the intention of increasing my daily exercise.

I only count exercise that I dress and plan for. I don't count any housework or walks in my flipflops. :D

I use a pedometer so I know my steps per day but I never give myself extra credit for a good walking/stepping day. I just like that it makes me want to be more active.

Not sure what you mean by "count". Who are you counting for?

I would not say that I exercised for 20 minutes if I was cleaning the bathroom. However, I spent over 3 hours digging, weeding and planting a vegetable garden on Sunday - you bet your booty that was exercise!

Jen

What do you mean when you say "count" your exercise? I'm assuming -- and please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong here -- that you mean figuring out how many calories are burned during exercise and potentially using the calories used in your daily calorie calculation.

If that's the case, I don't count the exercise calories at all. I go to the gym every day, but feel that the calorie counts utilized seem to be inflated to me and there are so many variables. So, I just do the exercise because I want to get some of this flab toned up and to strengthen my heart.

It would be an interesting experiment to see the average number of calories burned by working men and women in a day doing their full time jobs and then coming home to their full time home jobs.

What is your step goal Elvis?

I mean "count" when you eat those/or part calories back?

I second that of elvis and merilung. I only count actual planned exercises, such as aerobics, walks, runs, jogs, weightlifting, crunches, and stuff like that. Basically, if I was doing it before my weight loss, I don't count it. I apparently wasn't doing it enough or it wasn't burning any substantial calories. What I am doing now obviously does. Besides, when we log into MyFitnessPal or LoseIT!, it is assumes we burn "x" amount of calories a day as is between housework, cooking, breathing, sleeping, and whatnot, and is already calculated behind the scenes when it gives us what we could lose if we continue eating X way. There are programs where you can add everything yourself, but do you REALLY want to log every single minute of the 24 hour day depending on what you were doing at that precise time to get a true picture of what you are burning? I didn't think so. ;)

Originally Posted by Sum38:
What is your step goal Elvis?

Usually about 8,000 as it's equivalent more or less to 4 miles. But I try to end on a pretty much even number so if I get to 8,100, I go for 9,000 by the end of the day.

I use the word "count" too for exercise so I thought it was funny that both Betsy and Cherrypie asked what you meant. :)

I never eat calories back (but do use them for "oops" insurance!). And I keep a time log of exercise done, such as 10am-30 minute walk or 5pm-40 minute run. I don't exercise hard enough if I don't track it by time numbers. My goal of exercise a day is between 60-90 minutes.

Oh, ok. I never eat back exercise cals so I was confused...

Jen

I count any planned workouts and out of the ordinary physical exertions (like spring/fall yard cleanups, etc.) but not regular housework or things that are part of everyday life. As for eating back exercise calories, if I am hungry I do, if I am not hungry I don't :)

I count things that get my heart rate up as exercise (brisk walking, lifting, cardio.) That does not include cooking/cleaning/gardening etc. I do a lot of Pilates but I consider that more stretching than a workout workout.

Anything that makes me sweat. Although I don't eat back. I just use it as a guide as to whether I need to do more in a single day or not.

I like to exercise every day.

So I count walking, running, the gym, mowing the lawn (the best exercise I seem to get for weight loss), tiling etc.

You name it. But no sweat and it does not count.

So, if I mow the lawn then gym or a run not needed.

I 'count' my walking at work sometimes. I work in retail and walk at least .5 miles a day...up to 3 miles on busy days. But like the others, I don't think it normally as my planned exercise, unless it is the more extreme amount-like 3 miles.

Originally Posted by Sum38:
I only count what I officially set to do as exercise like a walk, weight lifting, swimming....

I clean/cook/garden a lot; I never count that.

What do you count as exercise?

About anything that is other than sitting or sleeping could be considered exercise. Albeit--cleaning really doesn't burn as much calories as aerobic activity--it's still burning more than doing nothing. But I really don't count normal daily activities as exercise. If they were counted--I would be as skinny as a string bean and I'm not--ha.ha.

I use to only "count" what I was doing when training with a HRM... So my swimming, biking, and running.... since I feel that it's fairly accurate as far calories "burned"... But I've recently also gotten into wearing "activity" monitors as well... I'm currently using the Nike FuelBand and I'm also using the FitBit One... and I'm finding those to be a lot of fun... Both very motivating... So now on top of my running I'm also setting daily step goals and floors climbed... And then I try to break those records..

I've set my daily step goal at 15,000 since I just came across something online that said 12,500 and above was considered "very active"... I always thought it was 10,000 steps or above, but according to what I came across that's just "active".... lol... I think my current top day for steps is something like 22,000 (on top of my running) so now I really want to try for 25,000 steps in a day... And now this is where I went a little crazy with the FitBit... I've been climbing flights of stairs like crazy because of it... Just to earn these silly "badges" and one day I did a 115 flights of stairs in my building... So now I'm determined to go for 125 floors climbed in a single day... which is kind of insane... and it's all because of this silly little FitBit... :)

P.S.... And as far as the the Nike FuelBand goes I think I'm going to "retire" it as soon as I earn 1,000,000 Nike Fuel points... I'm at about 250,000 right now, so I have a ways to go still... And I don't even really know what Nike "Fuel" is really... just that I have to work my a** off to earn it... lol... Just a whole other level of "crazy" on my part... But that's ok... I'm still having fun with it... :D

When I started, I couldn't do anything remotely like formal exercise. I started counting steps (with a pedometer) and my goal every day was to beat the previous days total (even if only by a step or two). I didn't call it anything, I just did it.

That's still pretty much my philosophy "Don't call it anything, just work at being more active than whatever has become "normal."

I tend to consider exercise something (usually unpleasant) that you do because you have to, not because you want to.

I LOVE water activity - swimming various strokes, water aerobics, water walking, treading water, using water weights and other resistance equipment... I'd live in the water if I could. I always do far more work in the water than on land (to judge by muscle soreness).

Thinking of it as exercise takes a lot of the fun out of it - and I'm counting the minutes until I can stop. Calling it play, a hobby, or "what I do for fun," I tend to get lost in the activity and tend to prolong it as long as possible.

Rather than whether or not an activity should be considered exercise, I try to measure progress and improvement in strength, stamina, and endurance. With swimming, I count lengths or laps. With walking, I count steps, time, or distance. With household chores, I don't "count" so much, but I do pay attention to details such as how often I need to take a break, how much can I accomplish in a morning or afternoon - can I reach a shelf I couldn't reach before?

As I get stronger and more fit, I set higher goals for all types of movement whether planned for activity's sake or just for fun.

TripSwitch I am sooo addicted to my fitbit. :D I average 13500 steps per day and 30 flights of stairs..... I envy your high amount of flights; no sky scrapers where I live, only my 2 story home :lol:

Originally Posted by Sum38:
I average 13500 steps per day and 30 flights of stairs.....

Originally Posted by TripSwitch:
I've set my daily step goal at 15,000

OMG!!! Do either of you ever sit down?? You inspire me!!!
:running::running::running:

LOL, Elvis actually very little. As I am surfing the net, I am also cleaning/sorting out my winter stuff. Clean some, steps, check 3FC, clean more, more steps, check 3FC :D

Originally Posted by Sum38:
TripSwitch I am sooo addicted to my fitbit. :D I average 13500 steps per day and 30 flights of stairs..... I envy your high amount of flights; no sky scrapers where I live, only my 2 story home :lol:

Actually the funny thing is.... I think I'm so addicted to climbing fights of stairs now... that if I lived in a 2 story house... I would be going up and down those stairs all day long just to earn those silly badges... Lol...

But now that I did those 115 floors in just one day... Now I think I'm some sort of "tower runner" and that I'm gonna qualify Empire State Building Run-Up next year.... :D

Originally Posted by elvislover324:
OMG!!! Do either of you ever sit down?? You inspire me!!!
:running::running::running:

Elvis... I'm on my phone right now... So I can't link to it... But I wanted to show you my treadmill computer desk workstation that I have... I know it sounds a bit crazy... But it's awesome... And I can get in an extra 3 or 4 miles of walking just talking on the phone at work each day... It was an absolute game changer for me.... But I've also set up a recumbent bike and a rowing machine in front of a tv... so when I'm watching the news or something like that... I do a little bit of biking or rowing...

But I do just totally kick back on the couch when I'm watching a movie or one my favorite tv shows that I DVR'ed... But that's like a big treat these days... Lol...

Originally Posted by TripSwitch:
Actually the funny thing is.... I think I'm so addicted to climbing fights of stairs now... that if I lived in a 2 story house... I would be going up and down those stairs all day long just to earn those silly badges... Lol...

But now that I did those 115 floors in just one day... Now I think I'm some sort of "tower runner" and that I'm gonna qualify Empire State Building Run-Up next year.... :D

I do my daily walk in a hilly terrain. I usually get 20 flights just from that, then the rest come from running up and down those house stairs.

Isn't amazing what a little gadget like this can do to one? :D

That treadmill desk sounds awesome!!!

You ladies are making me tired just reading about your exercise!! No wonder the 2 of you are so thin!!!

((((ELVIS)))) You just made my day. -- I have been so miserable with my past weight and with some personal issues....you were just what the doctor ordered! :love: Now I am smiling :)

I count walking in walmart as exercise, I know if I didnt use the cart I would burn more cal's but my balance isnt that good so I have to use the cart.