Is it cheating to walk in place while watching TV?

[JulieInMadison]

Walking in place seems to be my preferred way of exercising. It's painless and keeps me moving instead of sitting. But it seems lots easier than actually walking or running. Do the steps still count?

[SunsetRunner]

"It is your idea that running on the spot is cheating" - it is not my idea at all! 😄 It's absolutely opposite! Let me quote myself here:

1. "I do not consider such walking in place to be a cheating"

2. "if one does it simply to exercise and it works ( like my wife does ) then it is far from cheating"

3. "It could be considered as cheating maybe if you're undertaking a challenge but otherwise, I don't think so"

4. I have one warm-up exercise which also adds steps while I'm standing in one spot and that's fine if I get steps from it. I don't feel like cheating.

5. "That's why walking in place is nowhere near to being called a cheating."

5 times I said that this is not a cheating 🙂

Ok, about steps. Stepping on the spot is physically less demanding - it is easier, takes less effort. This is absolutely fine. I don't even consider doing that as self-cheating.

You said: "I'll bet you'd get some exercise running away if you told her you think she is cheating!" - absolutely not, because I don't think it is a cheating! Why would I tell her something that isn't true? The idea of it being cheating actually came from her so I asked her if she feels like she's exercising. She did so why would she think it was a cheating? Maybe this sentence created confusion: "Observing her, I see her heart rate goes up, she's actually putting some effort in it. If it works, then why not". I meant here "why not to step in place if it does work" 🙂

However, if you get into a competitive challenge then, as you said, group rules apply. If one enters the challenge to win and doesn't follow the rules ( I don't really know what challenges like that look like, never tried to enter any ) then apparently this would be cheating. Trying to win without obeying the rules of the challenge is a cheating. If the challenge assumes that you must be walking ( which simply means - it's required to put more effort ) then you should be walking. The group may consider stepping in place a cheating as well as shaking your wrist ( which would be the easiest way to cheat ). It's for a group to decide what is cheating and what isn't.

I will go back to the "step", It may be my understanding of the process of "stepping", but shouldn't stepping propel one into some direction? You may step up the staircase, backwards, uphill, downhill, up the ladder, but it should cause a movement or at least require forces to be applied that would be applied during such movement ( like with treadmill, elliptical etc. ). I'm not sure really if this has been ever defined. About that, I may be entirely wrong.

English isn't my first language so it might be that either I express myself with not enough accuracy or I don't understand something clear enough. I assume that may also be a case 🙂

[BigPhatGerk]

Mama says if ya have ta ask then it probably is.

[SunsetRunner]

Hi,  I tried earlier to respond to this using my smartphone but unfortunately I got halfway thru and lost my connection.

You seem to be losing it.  Using Bold typing is very close to shouting and does nothing for me.

Repeating yourself is a bit like talking to yourself when nobody is listening and as we are going nowhere I think it could be a good time to cry quits and leave it.

There does seem to be a misunderstanding and it may be a language problem for us.  If this is a barrier to communication then that is another reason for us to cry quits.

It has been interesting talking with you, and thanks for your time and interest.

Good luck with your fitbits.

Kind regards,

John

[SunsetRunner]

@SunsetRunner I'm really sorry if you took it as shouting or any manifestation of the anger. It wasn't my intention at all and please accept my apologies 🙂 I tend to use bold font quite a lot due to nature of my job ( when writing software spec etc. ) and didn't think it may be read that way on the forum. Anyway, I find it interesting to discuss this matter with you too. I have that feeling that we rather agree but there must be some weird, maybe language-based silly misunderstanding floating around. Such things are too trivial to matter. Thanks for your time 🙂 My regards. Adam

[BigPhatGerk]

It's cheating

[WHLindy]

Great idea to keep moving!  Walking in place while washing dishes, brushing teeth, etc.  I love it!!!  Thanks

[SunsetRunner]

Concur.  All the best.  John

[SunsetRunner]

Hope you have the waterproof tracker.  All the best,  John

[SunsetRunner]

I do believe we have been here before.  Have a vote on me anyway.

All the best,  John

[SunsetRunner]

No it isn't.  neah neah na neah neah. 

[BigPhatGerk]

Hope you have a nice chair.

[SunsetRunner]

Hi @SunsetRunner

after all this I have finally figured out how to tag folks in my replies.  I have you to thank for this inspirational idea, so many thanks indeed.  John

[SunsetRunner]

Hi @BigPhatGerk, why would you hope I have a nice chair, I'm not a professor?

Regards, John

[BigPhatGerk]

Stop emailing me.

[yheath72]

I know that's right!! 

[SunsetRunner]

Hi @yheath72,

Not sure why I got this or even if I am in the right thread but I'm glad for you that you know that's right.

Have a vote just for taking part.

All the best,  John

[Konababe]

Some people are newcomers and are not interested in running (pardon me, make that walking) marathons but doing the best they can under their current circumstances. There is something to be said about the safety of walking in home. We are not into race walking and many do not have room for high impact exercise equipment, or are not permitted to use treadmills because of their high impact potential.

I just burned 124 calories in a 22 minute walk in home; I didn't need to invest in equipment, drive 50 miles to a gym or dodge traffic on a busy road  In home works for me, and it apparently works for fitness experts who have made money doing "in home" walking programs.

[SunsetRunner]

Hi @Konababe,

Absolutely and congrats on your achievement.

I had a checkup with my chiropractor yesterday (she also sees to my 15 yr old dog) and in discussion about how I exercise she wanted to know if I worked out (yes) and in a gym (no) so where - at home on my own (with the dog).  She is of the opinion that solo workouts can be and often are better as we are not competitive which she views as dangerous in a 'Just to get fit again' environment.  The opportunity to compete is seen as a challenge that can easily lead to OTS - Over Training Syndrome so just gently trying to improve myself against last week's score will be much better for me.

Fair to say this won't be best for everybody but she hasn't examined everybody so fair comment - but worthy of note.  Also I tend to be a very private person and reluctant to share results other than a subjective comment like, doing well or the diet is working (it is but slowly - hey it's working let me be).

I'm gradually broadening my training and including a few pilates moves - love the idea of pushing my belly button back into my spine by tensing those abs. Despite my medications, Bisoprolol and Perindoprol with statins and anti coagulants, I can still beef up my workout just by walking (stepping in place) and boosting the pace to get those bpm's through Fat burn to Cardio and even Peak - and not only sustain them but to control them so as not to go too long at too high a pace.  10 minutes at peak is enough to need a shower afterwards, so NO, it deinitely is not cheating.

Thanks for getting this far and if you did, well, for putting up with my little rant.

Kind regards,  John

[Konababe]

John--Thanks for your kind reply and insight. You are doing what works for you and that is what counts in the long run

I am a heart patient who had an ablation two years ago. I was told upon discharge to get in 60 minutes of exercise a day. I'm a noted couch potato who goes in cycles on exercise mainly because I despise equipment in the way. I actually started going to the Senior Citizen center to use their equipment but then they changed their hours over a year ago so that they closed before I got off from work.

Recent tests have shown the heart is in good shape with meds but I got the reinforcement about the exercise. I originally bought my Alta HR to track heart rate as I am one of those who doesn't have symptoms when the rate gets out of control. With all this info that I was good to go, I started walking last week by dividing it into three to four exercise periods a day. I had an orthopedic appointment yesterday and wanted to see how it was going to impact the knees. Bottom line is that I got a cortisone shot in the knee and the orthopedic's blessing to continue walking as I described how it was being done. He just doesn't want it done on a hard surface too often and to stop the minute I feel pain.

I am now off to do my second session. It may not meet some people's expectations of what exercise might be but it meets mine as well as the medical community,

[SunsetRunner]

Hi again @Konababe

Re your ablation:

I read your reply on my smartphone and then tried to reply on my laptop but once there it decided "Topic no found" so here I am again.

2010 I had a CABG (double by-pass) and that operation left me with paroxysmal arrythmia.  Now I'm not sure what an ablation is but I think it is about a similar thing like tachycardia - is that right.  Whatever you have sounds similar if not the same.

I do like to be able to watch my bpm's on my phone app whilst exercising so that's how I monitor and control things.  I can usually get to within 10 beats before changing the pace of my stepping.  That's useful.

I've cut back on the higher levels and concentrate on just regular stepping now especially the 250/hour target but not easy if I'm busy like out with friends.  Although they understand I feel as if I'm being rude having to get up and walk but my reminder went off at the bus stop one day on my way to the hospital (eye clinic - 18 months now).  Anyway there I was in the queue spot stepping and folk were just 'looking' at me so I pointed to my tracker and announced "It's on prescription".  They smiled then looked away.  So what, say I.  Their problem not mine.  

My point is, by reducing the intensity I'm actually losing more weight.  Getting into Cardio/Peak zone was getting me fitter but I wasn't losing weight.  Just moving it about so now I think I'll just alternate the exercise patterns.  See how it goes for a few months.  I've only been on this FitBit thing since May but I feel so much better.  I'd been diagnosed as seriously deconditioned.  You couldn't say that about me now.

So listen to your body, keep going and live your life for you.

Wishing you all the best.  John