So, is housework considered exercise or is it not?

1234579

Replies

  • lilRicki
    lilRicki Posts: 4,555 Member
    I bust my *kitten* once a week deep cleaning my house. I do more damn stairs from grabbing laundry and hauling the vacuum cleaner around then I do at the gym...there's a lot of bloody squats that go into cleaning baseboards and walls, not to mention scrubbing the floors is damn hard on your back. I get that you shouldn't put down "doing dishes" or "wiping cupboards" but if you think for one second that I shouldn't count my Sunday House Cleaning, you're sadly mistaken. And feel free to mark down your gardening, because I mow two lawns, and am damn tired by the time I'm finished.
  • luvs2teachincali
    luvs2teachincali Posts: 207 Member
    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

    ^ This.

    I am sitting here, killing time when I should get up and clean.
    I don't log when it's just dishes, laundry, etc. Normal things that you do on a daily basis.
    But I DO LOG when it's DEEP CLEANING. Up and down the stairs several times, squatting, bending, pushing, stretching, etc.

    And ya know what? Later that night and the next morning when my back and hips ACHE something fierce... I don't feel a bit guilty about logging it. :noway: There is no question I burned calories feeling like I've been run over by a Mac Truck. :laugh:
  • msafunk
    msafunk Posts: 163 Member
    To me, it's about being consistent about whether you count it.

    If you have your activity level set at sedentary, and you do heavy cleaning 3-4 times a week-- the kind that leaves you panting and taking breaks from all the scrubbing and walking back and forth throughout your house-- then count it.

    But if you set your activity level with cleaning every day in mind, then don't count it.
  • ninjakitty419
    ninjakitty419 Posts: 349 Member
    I would never log normal day to day stuff but I guess maybe if I really got my butt in gear and did some hard scrubbing or heavy lifting, or several trips up and down the stairs, maybe I would log that...but that probably won't happen any time soon.
  • brookielaw
    brookielaw Posts: 814 Member
    I don't count mine as exercise because it's just a part of daily life. I cleaned my house long before I started paying attention to what I eat or setting aside ME-TIME for workouts. I don't count any trips up and down the stairs at the office either, but I sure am glad that all moving is easier now.
  • deanjou59
    deanjou59 Posts: 737 Member
    I do not count housework...I only count the intentional exercise I do :) I hope that makes sense!
  • PepperWorm
    PepperWorm Posts: 1,206
    Did you sweat? Raise your heart rate for an extended amount of time? Scrub enough to hurt? Clean for longer than an hour?

    Yeah, that I would log.
  • mrslcoop
    mrslcoop Posts: 317 Member
    My answer is sometimes. When I go hardcore, all out cleaning… I’m talking like 6-8 hours of cleaning where I’m on my hands and knees scrubbing everything, vacuuming multiple times, deep cleaning, etc. and when I’m done I’m pouring in sweat and look like I just ran a marathon I count it. That happens maybe once a month. BUT. And a it’s a big BUT. I only count ¼ of my time spent. It still usually adds up to a lot of calories and I do consider it my workout for the day.
  • YogaNikki
    YogaNikki Posts: 284 Member
    Just in case you weren't aware of this feature, when you go to the message boards section, there is a button called search and you can type in a keyword/phrase (ex: cleaning exercise) and you can see the threads that have already been created on the topic. Good luck! :flowerforyou:


    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1041514-lots-of-anti-clean-eating-sentiment-on-the-boards-today?hl=cleaning#posts-15986965

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/702245-house-cleaning-exercise?hl=cleaning+exercise#posts-10298910

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1032915-does-house-cleaning-count-as-exercise?hl=cleaning+exercise&page=1#posts-15843048

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1032915-does-house-cleaning-count-as-exercise?hl=cleaning+exercise&page=2#posts-15905777

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1033292-does-house-work-count-as-exercise?hl=cleaning+exercise#posts-15848154

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1028251-legit-question-housework-exercise-or-no?hl=cleaning+exercise&page=6#posts-15781174

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1025696-confused-about-what-counts-as-exercise?hl=cleaning+exercise#posts-15744129

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1025992-house-work-cleaning?hl=cleaning+exercise#posts-15736716

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/319326-does-grocery-shopping-count-as-exercise?hl=cleaning+exercise&page=4#posts-15722407

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/966255-do-you-count-house-yard-work-or-shopping-as-exercising?hl=cleaning+exercise&page=6#posts-15685009

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1020622-logging-cleaning?hl=cleaning+exercise&page=2#posts-15646395

    Really? You actually took the time to do this. Who gives a giant rats *kitten* if people re-post topics??? There are millions of users on here. Perhaps you should just ignore the title instead of taking the time to read it.

    yNCVL.gif
  • kimmymayhall
    kimmymayhall Posts: 419 Member
    I wouldn't count typical cleaning, gardening, or climbing six flights of stairs at my office every day as exercise because it is part of the daily activity level. But you do what you want with your diary. In the end it doesn't really matter what you decide to log, what matters is the result. If you are not seeing progress after several weeks, you may want to reconsider all the calories you are eating back from cleaning (if that's what you are doing) or that you need to get in more physical exercise. Or it could be just fine.
  • explosivedonut
    explosivedonut Posts: 419 Member
    Housework is definitely exercise. People seem to be of the misguided opinion that only formal exercise is in fact exercise. Nothing could be further from the truth. Look up the term "NEAT" on the web and learn about the value of all movement. Exercise burns very few calories. It's the movement we do throughout the day that gives us the "real" calorie burn. If we exercise an hour and sit the rest of the day, we' considered sedentary. Many NFL players are sedentary.

    Do count your housework and all of your activities.

    I disagree. I think the dictionary can solve this for us:

    http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/exercise?s=t


    ex·er·cise
    [ek-ser-sahyz]
    noun
    1. bodily or mental exertion, especially for the sake of training or improvement of health.

    So unless cleaning is physically exerting for you, it ain't exercise. Sure washing dishes and doing the floor might burn more calories than sitting on your butt, it isn't exercise.

    Also, exercise burns very few calories? When I go for a run I burn 600-1000 calories. That's 1/3 of what many people burn in a day. So if I ran 3 days a week, I would burn 8 days worth of calories in 7 days. How is that very few calories?

    Go and shout NEAT until the cows come home, but don't go fooling yourself that cooking that a pizza will burn off the calories that are in it.
  • lilRicki
    lilRicki Posts: 4,555 Member
    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.
  • RunningForeverMama
    RunningForeverMama Posts: 261 Member
    I would log but I'd have to clean first. :laugh:

    Truthfully, I don't log my normal everyday activities, just purposeful exercise.
  • dizzzy33
    dizzzy33 Posts: 31 Member
    It's activity not exercise but depends on what u have ur activity level set to for whether u should log it or not.

    ** This
  • tami101
    tami101 Posts: 617 Member
    When I first joined MFP, I was unable to do vigorous exercise for very long. I also found sticking to the 1400 calorie goal was very difficult. So yes, I logged the housework. I ate those calories back. It got me off the couch and my house had never been cleaner! I also lost weight doing this! Now that I am in much better physical shape, and have learned to make better choices in my diet, I no longer log housework. But it certainly can be used, depending on your circumstances.
  • QueenWino
    QueenWino Posts: 106
    I think the better question would be: if you track housecleaning as exercise and eat every calorie allotted to you in MFP including those exercise calories, are you consistently meeting your weekly goal you set up at the beginning? For me, an obese woman who was doing a half assed cleaning at my heaviest weight, I am tracking a 1/4 amount of the calories my polar f7 says I burned and tweak cleaning until the time matches the amount I calculated. So far I've met 2 goals and am on track for my 3rd. If I no longer met my goal, I'd stop counting it. This body right now is becoming a harder working one more capable and willing to vacuum stairs and scrub thoroughly 4 bathrooms; 3 weeks ago the stairs would've stayed shabby and the bathrooms would've gotten a small cleaning. I don't know how I came up w/the 1/4 choice, it just felt instinctively right. I put on the HRM right before I start my hours of work and immediately pull it when I'm red faced and done w/the deep cleaning. So ask instead if people are eating 100% of the cals who claim them and meet goals before deriding their decision.
  • RhonndaJ
    RhonndaJ Posts: 1,615 Member
    It depends on the person.

    Most people, I'd say no. Unless you're base calorie line is not sedentary but complete coma-state.

    If you do a major scrub from top to bottom, windows, etc. in one day, I'd say you could count it, unless you're seriously obsessive clean crazy and do that every day.

    If you never clean and are so physically unfit/overweight that it's been an impossibility to do so, yeah, count it.
  • RllyGudTweetr
    RllyGudTweetr Posts: 2,019 Member
    Did you sweat? Raise your heart rate for an extended amount of time? Scrub enough to hurt? Clean for longer than an hour?

    Yeah, that I would log.
    I did all of those things besides the scrubbing, just sitting on my backside over the last hour and ten minutes. There's a heatwave, and there was a fly buzzing around my apiphobic head.

    Edit: Typonese
  • djetaime30
    djetaime30 Posts: 1
    Thank you for the NEAT reference, I now have a new area of research to delve into.

    As for this discussion, I think as always, it depends. All of these calculations are estimates.

    I believe that goldfinger88 is mentioning NEAT to show many of the emphatic responders to this question that calories burnt in exercise done in a finite period has a small impact compared to the amount of movement do throughout your day. Any ADDITIONAL movement during the day increases your calorie burn. This is why experts suggest you walk instead of take the elevator and park at the far end of the parking lot and walk farther. If you are new to logging exercise and calories or you have hit a plateau, then the finer and more detailed measurements you take the closer you will get to understanding what will help you reach your goals.

    I think that the high number of responses to this question this time and in the past, show that this IS an important question.

    Please do not assume that what works for you will work for everyone. Please share what works for you in a tone that is supportive and helpful. We are all here to get support in our efforts to improve ourselves and our lives.
  • AJinBirmingham
    AJinBirmingham Posts: 497
    "Exercise" - No. It will never replace the gym.

    "Activity" - Yes. It burns calories and I like to eat them.
  • maddogg82
    maddogg82 Posts: 159 Member
    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
    norahwynn Posts: 862 Member
    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
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    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
    RllyGudTweetr Posts: 2,019 Member
    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
    ElaineRN100 Posts: 201 Member
    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
    LindaGTaylor Posts: 260 Member
    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
    peeaanuut Posts: 359 Member
    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
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    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
    blytheandbonnie Posts: 3,275 Member
    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
    RllyGudTweetr Posts: 2,019 Member
    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?

Categories