Can I count housework as a workout?
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housework is not exercise.....0
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Some people get all up in arms about it, but I say calories burnt are calories burnt!0
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I wouldn't count regular housework, but maybe above and beyond the normal household maintenance. Like a deep cleaning, where you move the furniture and are climbing ladders to clean the ceiling fan blades, but not regular tidying up.
Going by a TDEE approach might work better for you than MFP's NEAT + exercise calories.0 -
I count anything that is going to take 30 min+, and is out of the ordinary as cleaning, light/moderate effort.
To eat back those calories or not is up to each individual.0 -
gardening is considered one of the best exercises.0
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Do you move the furniture around when you vacuum? Changing sheets should count, carrying boxes of groceries, and all the bending and moving of laundry care.0
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GrandmaCarole wrote: »gardening is considered one of the best exercises.
By whom?0 -
Okay, silly confession time...
I don't generally eat back more than 1/4 of my gym calorie burns because I don't really trust them even though I've verified them every way I could think of possible and my losses confirm them. I still log them, though. Why? I get a kick out of the 5-week prediction with them factored in. So, so, silly.
Saying that? I never log cleaning. Not even for my silly game with seeing the stupid "in 5 weeks..." the burn would add.0 -
Honestly how dirty are people's houses that this is even an issue.
I always wonder this too...cleaning my house tends to be an ongoing and everyday process. Like, we vacuum Tuesday and now it's Thursday...we will vacuum tonight...if we see that some dusting needs done, we'll do that too. I'm pretty sure I'm doing the dishes tonight too. I usually only mop once per week, but it's also on an as need basis along with any other house hold chore.0 -
GrandmaCarole wrote: »Do you move the furniture around when you vacuum? Changing sheets should count, carrying boxes of groceries, and all the bending and moving of laundry care.
I bend over when I get pots and pans for dinner. Easy 100 calories right? Moving the milk jug from the fridge to the counter and pouring it? Sometimes I spontaneously dance when I cook too. And sing. Singing has to burn something. I feel it in my core. When I shower I scrub twice as hard for twice the burns. What if I breathe really fast? 5 calories right? Maybe? Bueller?0 -
I don't log in any form of exercise because I really can't tell how much I burn and don't want to eat those calories back anyway! I would suggest not logging it in0
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For some reason I keep reading this thread as ''Can I count backwards as a workout?'' Well, some people swear that thinking burns calories!
I don't typically count my housework as exercise, though I have once or twice when I didn't log any other exercise in for the day and thought I worked particularly hard or for a long period of time. I wanted my diary to state I had done something.
But usually I don't. Doing housework, especially if you are scrubbing down heavily soiled pans (ugh), can be a good workout though!!0 -
GrandmaCarole wrote: »Do you move the furniture around when you vacuum? Changing sheets should count, carrying boxes of groceries, and all the bending and moving of laundry care.
But how long does it take a person to move the furniture or the sheets? And unless you have some crazy-old heavy vacuum, pushing that is no trouble.
I get that these things take effort for many people and I don't want to sound insensitive or ableist. But to count these activities and eat the calories back is setting yourself up for maintenance or worse.
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jennifer_417 wrote: »Some people get all up in arms about it, but I say calories burnt are calories burnt!
so that means I can count the sex I have...Yah.
No I don't count house work @MrM27 which I do every week btw...including down on my hands and knees scrubbing the bathroom floor.
I don't count my gardening either or the wood in the fall or painting a room or crack filling or moving my Sister in law and her 3 friends...purposeful exercise only.
I think if someone's house is dirty enough that they burn tonnes of calories their punishment should be not being able to count them.0 -
ceoverturf wrote: »GrandmaCarole wrote: »gardening is considered one of the best exercises.
By whom?
good question...I was my fattest when I was gardening the most...hmmm0 -
Phoenix_Down wrote: »GrandmaCarole wrote: »Do you move the furniture around when you vacuum? Changing sheets should count, carrying boxes of groceries, and all the bending and moving of laundry care.
I bend over when I get pots and pans for dinner. Easy 100 calories right? Moving the milk jug from the fridge to the counter and pouring it? Sometimes I spontaneously dance when I cook too. And sing. Singing has to burn something. I feel it in my core. When I shower I scrub twice as hard for twice the burns. What if I breathe really fast? 5 calories right? Maybe? Bueller?
Bahahaha +10 -
jennifer_417 wrote: »Some people get all up in arms about it, but I say calories burnt are calories burnt!
so that means I can count the sex I have...Yah.
No I don't count house work @MrM27 which I do every week btw...including down on my hands and knees scrubbing the bathroom floor.
I don't count my gardening either or the wood in the fall or painting a room or crack filling or moving my Sister in law and her 3 friends...purposeful exercise only.
I think if someone's house is dirty enough that they burn tonnes of calories their punishment should be not being able to count them.
That, I like that
My dog cleans my house for me, so I don't have to count it.0 -
loseitall150 wrote: »vigorus housework such as: sweeping, mopping, dancing, washing dishes while having my 27lb 12 month old daughter on my back.
I'll be sweating the whole time because I live in a old home and central air doesn't work good in the kitchen.
Doesn't carrying 27lbs around while working around the house count as LIFTING?? lol I think that makes the housekeeping "exercise" - like Extreme Housekeeping hahaha0
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