So, is housework considered exercise or is it not?

maddogg82

The reason i dont count housework is because i was doing houswork when i was gaining weight. Housework is part of my everyday life and it hasnt changed therefore why would it count. The only time i count it is when i went above and beyond what a normal cleaning day is..

Example i scrubbed my tile flores with a tooth bursh for 4 hours. Or I dug trenches for the new sprinkler system outside for 6 hours.. basically if i know im gonna feel sore from it tomorrow then it counts. If i dont then .. lets not BS our selves.. it was just regular work around the house.

norahwynn

I don't consider cleaning your house a form of exercise. In saying that, all situations are different. If you clean daily, then obviously it's a daily thing and should fit in to your daily activities, not to mention you don't have much to clean because you do it daily,.

If you are not the cleanest of people, and you do it once a month, then you might have quite a project on your hands. It's not a daily thing that you do, so it's up to you if you feel like you worked hard enough to justify logging it.

By the way, to the person that said if you produce sweat, then log it...that's f'n ridiculous.

I must say that yesterday, my fiance and I cleaned out our garage and I did wear my HRM and I did log it as part of my exercise. We live in an apartment, and the dumpster is 3 buildings away. Between the both of us, when we moved in together we had A LOT of things that we had extra, and these items were put in the garage to deal with later. Since we're moving soon, later was yesterday. We figured since we've lived together for 5 years and all the stuff in the garage haven't been touched in all that time, we would just throw it away. We decided to walk 90% of that stuff to the dumpster instead of load up the car, which was our first intention. We only did about 1/2 the garage, and it took about an hour, and I burned a good amount of calories.
When we go back to do the rest, I'll probably do the same thing. And when we decide to get our apartment move-out ready, which consists of scrubbing walls, cleaning the oven, cleaning behind the refrigerator, wiping out cabinets, shampooing the carpets...you're better believe that I'll be logging that day too. I don't consider that you average 'cleaning the house'.

Also, if you have to start searching for things to log (i.e., reflecting on the day and finding a little here and there), then you didn't work out. When you have a good work out, you know it. You don't have to try to justify it by asking other's opinions.

ndj1979

And now that you just totally demeaned anyone that got off the couch...what about the person that is so morbidly obese that they can't walk to the end of their driveway to get mail? I'd be pretty damn proud of them if they swept the floor. Or how about someone that DOES break a sweat going down the stairs, because they never thought their legs would carry them...all of you rockin' the six packs on their high horse, completely deflated someone that thought they were doing awesome...good job guys, way to be raging douche bags.

ummmmmm ...

so should the obese person who got off their *kitten* to get the mail get a medal or something?

I think the points being made is that a person that is obese more than likely cleaned when they are obese, and now that they are losing weight that the cleaning they were already doing is not exercise as it is already included in their daily lifestyle...

RllyGudTweetr

And now that you just totally demeaned anyone that got off the couch...what about the person that is so morbidly obese that they can't walk to the end of their driveway to get mail? I'd be pretty damn proud of them if they swept the floor. Or how about someone that DOES break a sweat going down the stairs, because they never thought their legs would carry them...all of you rockin' the six packs on their high horse, completely deflated someone that thought they were doing awesome...good job guys, way to be raging douche bags.

ummmmmm ...

so should the obese person who got off their *kitten* to get the mail get a medal or something?

I think the points being made is that a person that is obese more than likely cleaned when they are obese, and now that they are losing weight that the cleaning they were already doing is not exercise as it is already included in their daily lifestyle...

Should a person who bicycled regularly while obese - eating at a surplus - not log bicycling when they start their journey to a healthier lifestyle by eating at a deficit?

ElaineRN100

Your heart is a pretty smart organ - but no way does it know if you are cleaning vigorously or running on the treadmill. It's elevated - increasing your metabolism and burning calories. If you are now eating healthy - lower calories along with cleaning house - something you used to do - then count it. But then it's your personal lifestyle change and if it's working for you don't change it.

LindaGTaylor

I wear ankle (5 pound pair) and wrist (5 pound pair) weights while I do my housework...
It does not sound like much but sweeping/vacuuming gets my heart rate up and the other housework keeps it up!
So for me yes I count housework as calories burned...
I hope this helps you.

peeaanuut

I wear ankle (5 pound pair) and wrist (5 pound pair) weights while I do my housework...
It does not sound like much but sweeping/vacuuming gets my heart rate up and the other housework keeps it up!
So for me yes I count housework as calories burned...
I hope this helps you.

I like that idea. Good stuff there.

ndj1979

And now that you just totally demeaned anyone that got off the couch...what about the person that is so morbidly obese that they can't walk to the end of their driveway to get mail? I'd be pretty damn proud of them if they swept the floor. Or how about someone that DOES break a sweat going down the stairs, because they never thought their legs would carry them...all of you rockin' the six packs on their high horse, completely deflated someone that thought they were doing awesome...good job guys, way to be raging douche bags.

ummmmmm ...

so should the obese person who got off their *kitten* to get the mail get a medal or something?

I think the points being made is that a person that is obese more than likely cleaned when they are obese, and now that they are losing weight that the cleaning they were already doing is not exercise as it is already included in their daily lifestyle...

Should a person who bicycled regularly while obese - eating at a surplus - not log bicycling when they start their journey to a healthier lifestyle by eating at a deficit?

are we talking cycling like long distance 10+ miles stuff....or taking the bike out for five minutes in the park or something...

I don't see too many obese people cycling where I live...maybe that is just me though....

blytheandbonnie

I log cleaning because it is outside my usual activity. I have my activity set as sedentary, I work a desk job. My husband is retired so he does the day to day stuff. If I clean, I am doing the deep down cleaning. Scrubbing behind the toilet, washing windows, moving furniture and appliances and cleaning behind them... that stuff. Definitely a workout for me. I log about half the time I spend cleaning. Edited to add that I have counted cooking also. My husband does the majority of the cooking, also. The couple times I have logged cooking were from when I worked a benefit dinner for the local EMS and once when I cooked all day for a bake sale. Definitely out of the ordinary, activity-wise. If it's unusually strenuous, I take it.

RllyGudTweetr

And now that you just totally demeaned anyone that got off the couch...what about the person that is so morbidly obese that they can't walk to the end of their driveway to get mail? I'd be pretty damn proud of them if they swept the floor. Or how about someone that DOES break a sweat going down the stairs, because they never thought their legs would carry them...all of you rockin' the six packs on their high horse, completely deflated someone that thought they were doing awesome...good job guys, way to be raging douche bags.

ummmmmm ...

so should the obese person who got off their *kitten* to get the mail get a medal or something?

I think the points being made is that a person that is obese more than likely cleaned when they are obese, and now that they are losing weight that the cleaning they were already doing is not exercise as it is already included in their daily lifestyle...

Should a person who bicycled regularly while obese - eating at a surplus - not log bicycling when they start their journey to a healthier lifestyle by eating at a deficit?

are we talking cycling like long distance 10+ miles stuff....or taking the bike out for five minutes in the park or something...

I don't see too many obese people cycling where I live...maybe that is just me though....

I'm talking about bicycling an hour each way, to and from work, as a baseline I can personally relate to, as an overweight person who used to do it.

Does the above indicate - should I reacquire a bicycle and enough comfort in my knees to do so again - that I shouldn't log two hour-long bike rides, 5x a day, as exercise, because I did that activity while I was obese, by the strictest technical definition of the term?

Gwen_B

NO, exercise counts as exercise!!! Using cleaning as exercise is and excuse not to exercise!! You can account for it on your activity level!!!

MelissaL582

I'm a stay at home mom of 3 and I don't count cleaning as part of my exercise. However, I do have my lifestyle set to lightly active.

bbbgamer

I would not log it, just as I would not log showering, brushing teeth, walking to car, driving to work, changing clothes.......

Gwen_B

"Exercise" - No. It will never replace the gym.

"Activity" - Yes. It burns calories and I like to eat them.

Absolutely!!

Gwen_B

I would not log it, just as I would not log showering, brushing teeth, walking to car, driving to work, changing clothes.......

Right!!!

ndj1979

And now that you just totally demeaned anyone that got off the couch...what about the person that is so morbidly obese that they can't walk to the end of their driveway to get mail? I'd be pretty damn proud of them if they swept the floor. Or how about someone that DOES break a sweat going down the stairs, because they never thought their legs would carry them...all of you rockin' the six packs on their high horse, completely deflated someone that thought they were doing awesome...good job guys, way to be raging douche bags.

ummmmmm ...

so should the obese person who got off their *kitten* to get the mail get a medal or something?

I think the points being made is that a person that is obese more than likely cleaned when they are obese, and now that they are losing weight that the cleaning they were already doing is not exercise as it is already included in their daily lifestyle...

Should a person who bicycled regularly while obese - eating at a surplus - not log bicycling when they start their journey to a healthier lifestyle by eating at a deficit?

are we talking cycling like long distance 10+ miles stuff....or taking the bike out for five minutes in the park or something...

I don't see too many obese people cycling where I live...maybe that is just me though....

I'm talking about bicycling an hour each way, to and from work, as a baseline I can personally relate to, as an overweight person who used to do it.

Does the above indicate - should I reacquire a bicycle and enough comfort in my knees to do so again - that I shouldn't log two hour-long bike rides, 5x a day, as exercise, because I did that activity while I was obese, by the strictest technical definition of the term?

if you did it then and you do it now then it is already built into your active setting of sedentary, lightly active, active, etc....IMO

Gwen_B

I don't count housework. It was something I did before I started my weight loss journey and its something I have to do every day. Its part of my normal daily expenditure of calories. I only count extra exercise such as bike rides and walks in the park.

Absolutely!!!

Normacurrie

I clean a couple of houses and 1 of them is 3 levels, I do not stop for the entire 3 hours, and my steps are around 4000. I`m in a hot sweaty lather by the time I`m finished. Soooooo I think depending on how strenuous and for how long it is in fact exercise.
Also I do add it to my activity , there is after all the option of housework in the activity list.

Gwen_B

Only on MyFitnessPal have I seen people consider cleaning and food preparation to be "exercise."

Exactly!!!

Ang108

Only on MyFitnessPal have I seen people consider cleaning and food preparation to be "exercise."

On Sundays I work as a volunteer in a charity soup kitchen for ten to twelve hours, preparing breakfast and making anywhere from 350-400 warm meals and doing clean up afterwards. I carry pots that weigh 50+ pounds, sacks of produce and am on my feet all that time. I count that as exercise. But usual housework and all activities that have to do with my home, I don't.