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?

[BruceBu]

Unless you manually set you stride length to zero in your profile, I' d have to say it's cheating - you're claiming distance you haven't covered. I think it is fine to use fitbit to monitor all kinds of exercise, but something triggering an accelerometer does not mean it is a step.  Marching in place does not meet the formal definition of a step and is significantly easier than 'real steps' (lacking some of the inertial physics of moving your body mass from one place to another); thus, I would think that counting the number of times you raise and set you legs down (without moving anywhere) would be cheating in any sort of competition based on counting *steps*.

More concisely:- for monitoring your own exercise  - no; for a step-based competition - yes.

[BigPhatGerk]

Thems were just jokes. I like this here thread. These folks think there's
an easy way to being fit but there's not. Walking in place I can't advise
unless it's your only option.

[Konababe]

No one said they were looking for an easy way but the way that best meets their needs under certain conditions. Perhaps some of us are competing against ourselves and using the FitBit to measure that. I've walked by moving body from Point A to Point B and I've  done it in place also using kickbacks, side steps, etc. When done in place, the FitBit will label it as "Elliptical."

[SunsetRunner]

Hi @Konababe

Yes, I get that sometines but it is easy enough to edit the type of exercise later.

Using your app, click on Track exercise, select the 'event' and use the pencil icon to enter edit mode.  From there just overtype 'Elliptical' then Save or Done I forget which.

BTW, is that ablation treatmet what we would call a stent  Like a mesh tube inserted into an artery and expanded with a 'balloon' to grip the inside of the artery walls.  This opens things up and restores flow.  I wanted one but was told I was too bad and needed a bypass.  You may need to Google 'stent' if my description is not so good.

Good luck.

John

[Konababe]

John, I know what you mean by a stent. An ablation is a different procedure. The electrophysiologist (cardiologist who specializes in rhythm disorders) will insert a catheter into a leg vessel and run it up to the atria. There are different ways of doing this....frying versus freezing....but they locate the heart cells that are out of control and sending signals to the rest of the heart causing it to act in a disorganized way. Once they locate those cells that are out of control, they basically kill them by using an electric current or freezing them. It is a step that is considered if the meds quit working or don't work. I've never regretted  having it done but they only did one chamber as that took over 3 hours to do the right atrium and then had to lay flat without moving for six hours so that the blood would clot at the injection site. The laying flat was the worst part. I'm still on meds as they wanted to see how this worked, but they changed the med which required me to be hospitalized for 3 days to see the effect as it is a tricky drug. So far, so good but since my type is paroxysymal, I got the FitBit to have a 24 hour record of the heart rate as well as an easy "at the moment" check.

I had already discovered how to change the label of the exercise. Thanks for the info, however. Keep up the good work and stay heart healthy.

[SunsetRunner]

Thanks for this @Konababe,

really interesting info and well put.  Glad you had the tippex for the Elliptical entry.

It is really clever what can be done these days, still a way to go, but impressive by grandads standards of yesteryear.

Keep up the good work and Kind regards,

John

[declara]

I get more active minutes stepping in place than walking. Maybe I step in place faster than I walk. 

[SunsetRunner]

I guess the only way to check that would be against the clock.  Can you tell from your app or dashboard maybe?  It would be interesting to find out what your beats per minute are doing too.  On active minutes you should be able to check the impact of your activity.  I get quite a few active minutes from housework and cleaning the car, certainly more than walking in place but as I'm on holiday at the moment my lifestyle is temporarily biased towards regular walking with the dog and often at a slow pace as she is something of a geriatric at 15.

Bottom line, are you enjoying it and feeling the benefit?  Has to be good.

[shipo]

---

@declara wrote:

I get more active minutes stepping in place than walking. Maybe I step in place faster than I walk. 

---

So more active minutes but less real activity.  Go figure.

[GrampsFish]

In 2014, a group from the University of Tennessee did a small study comparing stepping in place during television commercials with walking on a treadmill at 3 mph.

They measured energy expenditure with something called a TrueMax 2400 metabolic measurement system, and calculated that if someone walked in place during all the commercials shown in a 90 minute time frame, it would use about the same amount of energy as walking on a treadmill at 3 mph.

I just took a quick look through the study and didn't find the parameters they used for walking in place, but my recollection it was lifting your foot 8" off the ground at a pace of 100 steps per minute.

So my feeling is that if you're interested in energy expenditure, walking in place is not cheating.  The study is at http://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/fulltext/2012/02000/Energy_Cost_of_Stepping_in_Place_while_Watchin...

[Belobog]

The steps count, it's not cheating.

[Need2move1025]

I work in an office and sit at a desk all day. Sometimes walking in place is my only option. How different is it from using a stepper or treadmill? Honestly. Other than being able to adjust the intensity on the machines, I say its better than sitting around all day.

[Faydra6410]

According to investing.com:

"Walking for fitness burns up to 300 calories per hour, according to Harvard Health Publications, and is simple to do, even in the comfort of your bedroom. Walking in place is just as effective as walking on a track; all you need is enough space to march, supportive shoes and comfortable clothing. The key to weight loss while walking is raising your heart rate to 50 to 80 percent of your maximum heart rate for a minimum of 20 minutes a day, notes the American Council on Exercise. You can achieve this pace by varying your in-place walking movements and adding arm movements."

[SunsetRunner]

A step is a step, saying walking/jogging on the spot is cheating or does not count is like someone who runs saying any steps done not running is cheating/do not count

the difference is the amount of calories burnt

if you only want running steps in a challenge, then state that

not to mention, not everyone can run

before anyone comments/replies, how would you get your steps if you can not run or leave the house due to health reasons etc

[Bdc1]

*two cents*

[BigPhatGerk]

Eat em

[Bionicwoman71]

If you have a good workout dvd I disagree. Ive burned much more calories doing my zumba workouts on my dvds than I ever would dancing to music.

[thewalkergirl]

When you are "cheating" on your exercise plan you are only cheating yourself. Here is a question for you, are you doing something different walking in place then you normally do? In other words if you weren't walking in place would you just be sitting on the couch watching tv? Now if you were sitting down and moving your arms that would be cheating since you wouldn't get anything out of it.

Note: You can always jog in place if you feel like walking in place is cheating you out of something you need.

[vivi1955]

get the same, I do a 5 mile walking from tv but only register 1 mike

[BLLingg]

Yes, @JulieInMadison  the Steps do still count.  You can also alternate Stepping in Place with doing some Dance Steps, taking a tour of the Perimeter of your Room or Rooms, even doing some fun Hop, Skip, and Jumps.  Doesn't matter.  It is better if you raise your Legs high.  But not critical.  You should be making sure you get your Heart Rate up into Cardio with at least some Peak.  That one is fairly important.  But not necessary for those Steps to count.