housework

Lo65

I noticed that there is no category for housework in the exercise listings. I looked up housework on a Daily Calories site and 60 minutes of housework uses 317 calories. Is there a rule against using housework as exercise on this site?
Lo65

tinavflynn

They don't really label it as housework. They have "Cleaning", maybe try specific types of housework to see what they have listed.

They also have a drop down menu on the Database portion of the Exercise tab. See if something is there.

thisismeraw

Housework is part of your daily activities and should be accounted for when you set your exercise level. I personally don't see how doing the dishes, cooking, normal daily cleaning is exercise.

I will only count housework as exercise (and I only count 1/2 of the time spent) when I spend an entire day doing a huge clean of the house and normally I will not even count that.

Daily housework is not exercise.

MisterDerpington

I await the ****storm of holier than thou people who think cleaning isn't physically demanding at all. There's a "cleaning moderate" and "cleaning heavy" or something like that in the exercise section of MFP. I would count it if you're working up a sweat. As an obese person, it can make me drenched in sweat when I clean the whole house. It's up to you, just make sure you don't overestimate the calories like any exercise.

happythermia

It's actually on here somewhere!
This is one of the reasons I really like my fitbit. I don't usually track things like housework because the fitbit is tracking it for me...
(unless I'm doing something crazy like moving furniture or boxes - then I'd add it)

JenMc14

There's not a rule against it, but unless you are really, really getting your heartrate up and maintaining that, you might be "double dipping" if you then eat those calories back. I've seen others say it this way, "If I did it when I was fat, then I don't count it". That makes sense to me. I, personally, do not count cleaning, I only count a dedicated workout where my heartrate, while maybe not super high, is elevated.

happythermia

I await the ****storm of holier than thou people who think cleaning isn't physically demanding at all. There's a "cleaning moderate" and "cleaning heavy" or something like that in the exercise section of MFP. I would count it if you're working up a sweat. As an obese person, it can make me drenched in sweat when I clean the whole house. It's up to you, just make sure you don't overestimate the calories like any exercise.

Agreed - honestly, if you're working up a sweat doing housework - you're definitely doing something!! And if you're doing light cleaning but still want to count it, I would...BUT I wouldn't eat those calories back unless I were really truthfully hungry

Longisland2NC

I sure hope that cleaning is an exercise - as we are selling our house and I have been constantly busting my butt trying to keep the house *show ready*....which (trust me!) leaves me exhausted afterwards! I am not logging it (as I do not eat back my exercise) but sure hope it still counts!!!

Lo65

Thanks for the replies. I'm so sedentary, that vacuuming and cleaning the bathtub DO work up a sweat. I don't eat back my exercise calories anyway, I have trouble eating my regular calories without going over on my carbs and fats and sugars, but I'm just a newbie...

RCottonRPh

To me, there is a difference between "activity" and "exercise". Cleaning is activity, and while it will burn calories, I wouldn't ever eat any cleaning calories back.

salladeve

Use it if you are doing more then what you normally do on a daily basis, that you have figured into your activity level. My everyday cleaning, dishes, straightening the house, laundry, ect. is figured into my activity level. If I work up a sweat hauling the vacuum up 2 flights of stairs (and it's a heavy SOB) and vacuum the whole house I count it as moderate. When I'm cleaning the basement and hauling boxes out I count it. Washing windows, moving furniture all make me sweat and up my heart rate, so they count extra! Basically you have to use common sense and be honest with yourself, really no one else should care what you count or don't count, it is really up to you.

BlitzClipz

I count cleaning in my cardio minutes. But only the cleaning I do that physically exerts me to where I'm breathing hard and/or sweating. I do a deep clean of my house once a week and that is definitely physically exerting. I also waitress usually 1-2 days a week. Not enough to change my activity levels, so I count those minutes under cleaning since I'm always moving around doing or cleaning something.

mkakids

Use it if you are doing more then what you normally do on a daily basis, that you have figured into your activity level. My everyday cleaning, dishes, straightening the house, laundry, ect. is figured into my activity level. If I work up a sweat hauling the vacuum up 2 flights of stairs (and it's a heavy SOB) and vacuum the whole house I count it as moderate. When I'm cleaning the basement and hauling boxes out I count it. Washing windows, moving furniture all make me sweat and up my heart rate, so they count extra! Basically you have to use common sense and be honest with yourself, really no one else should care what you count or don't count, it is really up to you.

I agree....only count it if its something that's out of the ordinary...cleaning out the garage\attic, etc... general starightening of the house shouldn't be counted IMO.

sharonmpoteet

@Lo65, I know how you feel, I have days I can't do anything, my back and legs hurt and the veins in my leg are protruding causing the pain. But yes cleaning anything in the house is burning calories. On the days that I hurt and can't do anything, it makes me more depressed and then I eat more. I am hoping by tracking on here that I will be able to lose some weight.