Exercise question
 

It seems that the counselors at my center do not consider walking my dog exercise.
My DH and I got a new dog around the same time I started this diet and I walk him at least once a day for 30 minutes or more, yet when my couselors ask me if I've exercised and I say, "I walk the dog everday", they don't count it as exercise!!! That really ticks me off because it looks like I am not holding up my end of the bargain with them when really and truly, walking the dog is 30 minutes of exercise I certainly wouldn't get otherwise.

Anyone else have this issue?

Well, walking it is better than nothing.

To be honest though, I don't count that as cardio. I only count something as cardio if it keeps my heart rate between 132 to 145 beats per minute.

Exercise needs to be a bit challenging in order to improve your fitness level.
Hiking up hill would get your heart rate up.

that's a little too picky for me... i mean, I could go in there and tell them I walk 30 minutes a day and they would count it, whether I get my heart rate up or not.

If your dog is active & you're really moving along when you walk him, then leave out the dog - just tell them "I walk 30 minutes a day". Maybe they're thinking your dog is like mine, when I walk her there's a whole lot of stopping & sniffing going on - the dog, not me. :dizzy: So I don't count walking my dog as part of my exercise - I walk 3 miles most days not counting the dog walks. Now when I take my daughter's dog on my walks, that's a whole other thing - he moves. He's usually dragging me - I tell him he's either draggin' or laggin' - drags me along or lags to sniff something, but mostly he drags! I definitely get a workout walking him. So it depends on the dog as to how much actual "useful" exercise you get walking him/her.

I walk on a treadmill and keep my heart rate around 160, and believe me, I'm not walking that fast-- I'm just really out of shape. So, like Meemo says, just tell them you walk or speed walk 30 minutes a day. If I took my dog out for a walk (80 lb. dog), I would get much more of a workout than I do on that treadmill!