So, is housework considered exercise or is it not?

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  • SakuraRose13
    SakuraRose13 Posts: 621 Member
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    I do because I have my calorie intake at sedentary so my calories burned are not being over estimated , Im a SAHM of two very active small children one who turns 3 aug 10th and the other will be 17 months the day before, so Im active but not highly active , when I clean it can be washing dishes, moving furniture, scrubbing floors, hauling a 15lb of laundry down 2 flights of stairs and picking them up normal stuff and walking with them in a double stroller up hill and walking wherever I can inside or out so most of my exercise isn't workouts and no strength training no go for me ,unless I m at a gym and since I don't have the means for that this will do for now.

    I have lost 28 lbs with just calorie restriction and some light exercise and no gains , started Jan 1st 2013.

    Best choice I have made for myself feels great too:)

    I eat my calories back because at 1200 I need too.


    I'm 4ft 10 petite medium frame its working and I'm good yep I go over sometimes because not everyday are the same amount of hungry you are not a robot.
  • number1daddy
    number1daddy Posts: 1
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    If you were to do 15 minutes of fast walking every 2 hours, you'd have walked 10,000 steps. By your definition though, it doesn't count as exercise because it's not continous for more than 1/2 hour.

    Hmm. I think it's still exercise.
  • MagicalLeopleurodon
    MagicalLeopleurodon Posts: 623 Member
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    My rule:
    Day to day chores, such as dishes and laundry-no.

    Day to day chores that pile up, such as a mountain of laundry that takes all day and needs to be hauled back and forth for hours-yes.

    Day to day chores that are more laborious, such as hoeing the garden, hiking with the dogs, or working in the chicken pen- yes

    Any time i have to move furniture or carry large objects back and forth- yes.

    Any time i am holding a shovel, hoe, garden rake, machete, or axe-yes.
  • highervibes
    highervibes Posts: 2,219 Member
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    I wouldn't log it but I would think that doing tough yardwork would require more calories than watching Grey's. When I weeded my entire flower beds in June I felt like I had been in a car accident the next day lol. My muscles were definitely doing more than usual
  • Raynne413
    Raynne413 Posts: 1,527 Member
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    It's considered exercise for me because I never do it. LOL
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
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    Since this old thread has been revived for some reason.....

    Housework is better than laying on the couch. Housework will get you moving around. Does housework need to be logged for the calorie burn and compensation made with extra food? No, it's not that intense. I know someone will jump in with the "you don't know how much a sweat when I deep clean" (still don't know what deep cleaning is) but it really isn't the kind of effort that requires a refeed.

    If putting something in your log showing you did "exercise" makes you happy so you can track how much you moved, great but I wouldn't get excited about the big calorie burn from it or making sure you get an extra protein shake in to offset the burn.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    I don't count anything other than 'intentional exercise' as activity. I've been cleaning my house for years, yet I'm still overweight, so now suddenly saying it's cardio work is a leap bigger than my short legs can take. Especially if you eat back your exercise calories. (I'm an adult of normal health who is generally active in life. If I'd been bound to a bed for the last year my answer would probably be different!)

    This. Unless you have been an invalid confined to your bed, then no.
  • LovelyLina589
    LovelyLina589 Posts: 1
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    I do not consider it to be an 'exercise replacement’; however, I do use it to help me keep track of the amount of calories I burn throughout the day. I do a lot of cleaning and I often times break out into a sweat. When your body uses fuel, it is essential to replace it. If you do not count the calories you burn, you run the risk of going under your limit and your appetite will increase quite a bit over time. You also run the risk of slowing down your metabolism because your body will adjust to the calorie deficiency. The best way to lose weight is to do it slowly and focus on the fitness aspect of the journey. Remember, food is fuel and the scale does lie. Focus on how your clothes fit and how you feel rather than what the scale says. :smile:

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