So, is housework considered exercise or is it not?

Contrarian

What gives anyone the right to laugh at someone putting housework down? I am not a neat and tidy person so when I actually get to cleaning-cleaning I count it. It is not part of my usual routine. The normal stuff that is, I don't count.

No one is laughing. It just isn't exercise.

CBeland2013

I believe that if it induces a sweat and it's outside of your usual routine, you can count it. If you spent 2 hours deep cleaning all the carpets and moving furniture and it left you tired, count it. If you spent 2 hours baking for a bake sale of something, count it. It's not your usual routine, you are tired from it, and it burned calories. If you want to count it, log it.

If you know you overate that day and you're just looking for ways to round it all out in your journal, I would say it's not legit. It shouldn't count.

Tiff050709

Depends.
Maybe I will wear my HRM one day and see how many calories are actually burned. But I don't usually count it. Unless it's cleaning the garage or basement.

Lili0817

NOO! People that do... you're really just cheating yourself big time! Congrats on cleaning your house and possibly burning additional calories while doing it, but please don't count it as your "workout". I'm wondering if the people that log it in are the ones that don't truely work out.?? Hmm...

pastryari

What gives anyone the right to laugh at someone putting housework down? I am not a neat and tidy person so when I actually get to cleaning-cleaning I count it. It is not part of my usual routine. The normal stuff that is, I don't count.

No one is laughing. It just isn't exercise.

Yup.

technobunny

Ready2Rock206

I have yet to find anyone who got skinny doing housework.

PamShebamm

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

HaHa! Really.

I've seen people log standing as exercise...

skullshank

I believe that if it induces a sweat and it's outside of your usual routine, you can count it.

by this logic, having the flu is exercise.

JellyButter

I would log it down if im pouring down sweat and my legs are giving out

Serah87

I believe that if it induces a sweat and it's outside of your usual routine, you can count it. If you spent 2 hours deep cleaning all the carpets and moving furniture and it left you tired, count it. If you spent 2 hours baking for a bake sale of something, count it. It's not your usual routine, you are tired from it, and it burned calories. If you want to count it, log it.

If you know you overate that day and you're just looking for ways to round it all out in your journal, I would say it's not legit. It shouldn't count.

Sweating doesn't make you burn more calories!!! It's just sweat!!! I live in Florida, sitting outside I sweat, should I count that. :huh:

marciebrian

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

its ridiculous to log cooking dinner or vacuuming??

froeschli

Anything that isn't habitual, maybe stripping floors or spring cleaning, or helping a friend who just moved clean out their place. Everything else, sadly, is part of life(style).

clairedrose

I don't log daily chores but when I am sweating through a whole house cleaning of 3000 sw ft of scrubbing, vacuuming,etc...absolutely! If it weren't hard work my DH would be doing his share when he says he will :-D

technobunny

I believe that if it induces a sweat and it's outside of your usual routine, you can count it.

by this logic, having the flu is exercise.

pretty sure i'm one flu away from my goal weight if that's the case.

_Zardoz_

Why do people care what other people log it doesn't effect you.? If it works for them great if it doesn't work there problem not yours.

shadow2soul

I got my fitbit in April and this is one of the things I was curious about (I wasn't logging housework before, because I was unsure). Cleaning definitely doesn't give much of a calorie burn. On days where I clean (unless of course I do a full deep clean), I don't burn enough calories for fitbit to consider me lightly active. So personally, I wouldn't consider it an exercise unless its a deep clean (moving furniture, ect) and then I'd only log a quarter of the time it took.

megsi474

To be honest, I did a few times when I first started. I was very sedentary and lazy and it gave me a sense of accomplishment and a boost I needed at the time to start paying attention to myself and my surroundings and how I was impacting them. I wouldn't log it now, not even for a major cleaning job but I also made intentional exercise a priority and get my successes from that. I guess I see it as part of my evolution and the necessity to log cleaning died out.

knitjogread

I am the one who said "I have to laugh when I see people basically logging anything that gets them off the couch as exercise". Take that how you will and if you want to get upset, that's fine. You can do whatever you choose and if it works for you, that's great. But personally, I love running and Zumba and burning a good amount of calories. I have about forty pounds I would like to still lose and can't imagine getting those results from cleaning.

What I meant by laughing was that I see people logging EVERYTHING. Sex, dusting, laundry, etc. It just makes me picture them like, "I got off the couch! That's twenty calories!" And yes, I probably am a *****. I'm okay with that.

77tes

I log it if it is outside my usual activity. And housework is outside my usual activity. I apologize for losing weight while fooling myself in this way.