housework counting as legitimate exercise

grandma0561

Hello everyone (: Just wondering today I put on my polar monitor while I worked around the house, ironed, etc and was surprised that after 2 1/2 hours I burned 615 CALORIES! Can I count these as calories burned eventhough it wasnt from a regime structured exercise ? It was done without even thinking and I feel like because I wasnt burning a sweat it wasnt REAL exercise. Please advise:huh:

dbmata

I wouldn't. That's normal day to day stuff.

Exercise is just that, not chores.

I know when I mow for an hour it's a workout, I'm not going to log it though.

sunshinestater

I count particularly vigorous stints of house cleaning, as do most of my MFP friends. Not just everyday stuff, but things like when I decided to tackle and deep clean a whole room, move things around, etc.

Peazwithin

I have a light cleaning routine. I don't count that. When I have a truly heavy-move-furniture, mop&bucket, up-down-up-down-up-down doing laundry, clean both bathrooms, change bedding in al rooms cleaning day, I count it. Because I am moving. Constantly and it all counts. I walk the dog for a mile, it counts. I walk the dog for three miles, it counts too! Our regular walk, our default walk is a mile. So even if you didn't sweat your body knows you burned those calories and it counts. IMHO!

andiroot

I wouldn't. Your heart rate monitor may think swiping your hand vigorously while washing a window counts as cardio but it doesn't. Stuff like cleaning the house and showering burns calories but is part of your daily activity calculation.

Pearsquared

I only count it if it's vigorous enough and consistent enough. In other words, I have to be on a cleaning task for more than say, 20 minutes, and although I don't have to be sweating, I have to think, "Woah, this is hard work" for it to count. Vacuuming is vigorous enough, but not consistent enough. Cleaning the kitchen floor, however, is vigorous and consistent enough for me (I scrub on hands and knees because I'm OCD and can't miss ANYTHING).

phjorg1

hrms don't work unless you're doing cardio. ignore it for cleaning.

erinsueburns

Since I am not the primary house cleaner in my household, it is not part of my daily routine. So if it is vigorous and of long duration, then I count it.

ETA: But I don't use a HRM for it, I just go by the numbers and knock off a percentage.

singlefemalelawyer

I guess it can count as exercise - I def. break a sweat when I go on a cleaning spree. But don't expect me to congratulate you for cleaning your house lol

sandy_gee

If I'm hardcore hands and knees scrubbing floors for 2 hours, I might log 30 mins of it. Same story with things like raking the lawn, shoveling snow, etc.
Otherwise I view it as an everyday inclusion and don't log it... Unless you're sprinting back and forth across the house to put things where they belong, one at a time... :glasses:

bumblebums

Back when I was logging exercise calories, I entered housecleaning as exercise once, on a day when I had to move furniture and rolled up giant rugs. It was like a strongman competition. Unless you are doing something like that, I wouldn't bother. If you have your activity level set to "lightly active", this kind of activity is included in your calorie goal.

Brianna716

I don't count normal daily stuff, but a few weekends ago I spent about 6 hours cleaning and I was sweating most of the time. Had I been logging at the time, I probably would have logged 3 hours of that.

_SusieQ_

You can count anything as exercise that you want to count.

But if you find yourself in a month or so not losing any weight, remember this post.

Katla49

Many women I know log work and housework. I don't because I gained all this weight while doing those things. I count the extra things I now do as exercise. Between lower calories, walking, biking, and yoga, my body is changing. This is a lifestyle change.:flowerforyou:

billsica

I think since you got the HRM you should just wear it for all sorts of things so you know what it reads. why not, right?
personally I wouldn't could cleaning. If you want to, go for it.

I used to count shoveling snow and mowing the lawn. I have progressed were that stuff doesn't make me work up a sweat, so I don't.

junejadesky

I log anything that is out of my regular routine. So those bigger chores that I don't do as often I log. However, I wear the fitbit, so if the fitbit adds calories burned from cleaning I certainly take those!!

AllonsYtotheTardis

If you log things like that, you are only fooling yourself.

leannerae40

I count all of mine, however only on bad weather days and if I turn that into a workout. What I mean by that is, I will make sure that I turn my housekeeping into cardio by running from room to room, squatting while cleaning the floor, etc. I mean I am DRIPPING sweat. However, you can count whatever you'd like. Someone who is very out of shape (like me) does not take very long to burn calories. If you're fairly fit, you know what constitutes a WORK OUT and what doesn't. Be honest with yourself, and the scale won't lie back!

_Zardoz_

It always comes across as a little desperate to me. Just my opinion

connie_messina

bump

Pollywog39

I have my profile set at "sedentary", (desk job), and yes, I do count housework...........not doing dishes or simple things, but more intense kinds of physical housework.

I count everything I can!!!! lol.
:bigsmile: :bigsmile: :bigsmile:

MandaJean83

If I can feel my heart rate elevating, and my muscles getting tired, I count it. Yesterday I deep cleaned my bathrooms, and I was vigorously scrubbing tile and grout for an an hour....I worked up a decent sweat, and you can be DAMN SURE I counted those as calories burned.

Calliope610

I was doing all the same housework while I was gaining weight, didn't seem to help me out when I was shoveling food into my face. Don't know why the same activity would have any special magic now that I'm eating at a deficit.

However, I was NOT walking/running 6 miles/day and lifting 3x/week when I was gaining weight. That is why I count that as exercise now.

justwanderful

Without actually seeing you in action, I can't tell if it's exercise or not. Why don't you come by here. We'll have you do 2 1/2 hours of cleaning and ironing. I'll watch and then make a decision when you're finished. ;-)

lgblack

Someone once posted, count it if it is aggressive enough that you work up a sweat. That being said, if I am doing short 15 minute walks multiple times a day - specifically to add to my exercise for the day. I could that - even though I am not sweating. But it is over an above my normal day walking at my sedentary desk job. So you have to decide if the activity level is really being counted in your daily allotment of calories - or is it truly above and beyond.

cwolfman13

That's pretty much day to day hum drum in my books...it should already be accounted for in your NEAT per your activity level. Occasionally I have a crazy day out in the yard doing landscaping...I don't log it, but I do treat myself to a few extra beers...but just general type of stuff, no way. I personally think a lot of people do this and those same people complain about "doing everything right" but not losing.

emmythedagger

It depends. Have you listed yourself as sedentary or active? If your sedentary add it, otherwise it's already been accounted for.

I'm sedentary, I sit about doing nothing, so when I get up and help with the cleaning I log it!

EDIT: I just wanted to add that I don't eat those calories back. I only eat back when I've really been working out.

Serah87

Did you not clean your house before you gained weight? I mean why count the things you should already be doing? I have yet to see anyone post a success story saying, YAY I lost 100 lbs by cleaning my house!

:laugh:

kaycevaughan

I have my activity level set to count the cleaning and other things that I do day to day. However, if I do extra cleaning or mow the yard or something, I will count it. But I try not to eat more 50% of my exercise calories back is many at all.

rrsuthy

I'm amazed at how many people consider cleaning part of their daily routine. I HATE to clean and I sure as heck don't do it every day. So for me, I'd count it as "light cleaning" and probably use 1/2 the calories the MFP says. I also count mowing my lawn as exercise. It takes me 65 minutes to cut my entire yard and that's a lot of walking. One of these days I'm going to get a pedometer and wear it while cutting the grass. I'm guessing it's the equivalent of walking a couple of miles.

Also, I have always worked out. The only times that I've gone more than a short while without exercising where: recovering from numerous knee surgeries, the last month of pregnancy (I swelled so much I couldn't wear regular shoes), the first 3 months after having a baby, and 8 weeks after having female surgery. Yet, I still gained weight. So to the comment, that you did that and still gained weight, so you shouldn't count it doesn't cut it in my book. I count my exercise now.

Kamikazeflutterby

I've gotta admit, I'm one of the people who occasionally counts above and beyond cleaning as exercise, but at an exchange rate of 1h of heavy cleaning logged as 30min light cleaning. Since cleaning is always a normal activity, I figure that's the only way to count the little bit of extra effort.

I have used the light cleaning input to substitute for other, rare activities like painting a room. That's enough effort that I want some kind of extra food, but not so much that I can justify a ton of calories.