So, is housework considered exercise or is it not?

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Replies

  • vickiessecret
    vickiessecret Posts: 119 Member
    I count if sometimes, I have 3 levels to my house, so it's a lot of running up & down 3 flights of stairs. & my heart rate does get up there, I also have my activity level set to Sedentary, so activities I do I count. & I'm also losing weight doing it...so I'm happy :)
  • Melaney1
    Melaney1 Posts: 44 Member
    For me, I don't count regular daily cleaning as exercise but I would count Spring cleaning. When you wash down the whole house inside and out that's hard work but, do what ever works for you.
  • RachyLovesRattys
    RachyLovesRattys Posts: 143 Member
    I clean 6 rat cages, take out all the bedding and put it two floors down in the garbage, put all the accessories in the tub to soak and scrub, vacuum afterwards, and usually that's also laundry day and litterbox clean day. Yes, I count it. But I also sweat my butt off and have myself marked as "sendentary" so I can.
  • corgicake
    corgicake Posts: 846 Member
    Depends. If housework is your line of work (ie housekeeper, nanny, etc) then bump your activity level up to light. If not, it's factored into your target numbers already.
  • 1fitnessplanner
    1fitnessplanner Posts: 63 Member
    yes i log it i log everything but i don't eat back my exercise calories so what's the problem? it's my diary and as such it says what i did for the day :) works for me
  • morticia16
    morticia16 Posts: 230 Member
    If it's part of your normal routine, I wouldn't count it. I don't.
  • chantels1
    chantels1 Posts: 391 Member
    Only if you are using the sedentary lifestyle, and it is an extraordinary cleaning. If you are doing average daily chores, they don't count. But if you mow the lawn once or twice a month, that is not part of your regular routine and should be counted as extra.

    But if you consider yourself active or fairly active, I would not add the chores in, as you probably already considered them when you considered your lifestyle.
  • Faye_Anderson
    Faye_Anderson Posts: 1,495 Member
    Personal preference, same as I personally prefer to use the search function before posting topics that have already been flogged to death :flowerforyou:
  • Sonj1973
    Sonj1973 Posts: 188 Member
    I dont include everyday cleaning....but If I was to do a mega big spring clean then hell yeah why not......It's a work out and half lol :)
  • quiltlovinlisa
    quiltlovinlisa Posts: 1,710 Member
    I personally don't count housework but I do count gardening (I log half the time I was out there). I was pulling these huge weeds yesterday, it was an incredible workout! lol
  • DaLuvJones
    DaLuvJones Posts: 1
    The usual daily housework I would not count. If you are doing some out of the ordinary housework that requires abnormal activity then count it. I sync my fitness pal with my fit bit and it helps to account for the activity. I would definitely suggest getting one.
  • MyaPapaya75
    MyaPapaya75 Posts: 3,143 Member
    I logged mowing the lawn once...but I also didn't plan to "eat" back anything regarding it....I think those that log silly things like "carrying the baby around town, washing dishes, doing laundry and even mowing" are probably the ones that are NOT wearing a HRM and plan to eat every one of those logged calories back......I don't think its a proper workout..but on the same note I don't know if their life is sedentary and hey maybe mowing is really all they can muster up.....I would be curious to know if those people that do log odd chores ...what is the purpose?
  • supplemama
    supplemama Posts: 1,956 Member
    I don't log housework, gardening, laundry, cooking/preparing food, etc. as exercise. What other people choose to do is their business, but I don't log those things because when I do them my heart rate doesn't increase much and I don't break a sweat.
  • ice1200s
    ice1200s Posts: 237 Member
    I'd say it's all optional. No matter what you do, you are burning calories. I let my Fitbit and MFP work that all out for me. Before I got it, I used to count mowing, because it is a big yard and takes about 3 hours to mow and trim.
  • chad_phillips1123
    chad_phillips1123 Posts: 229 Member
    Generally I wouldn't suggest it (depending on how dirty your house is:smile: ) cause exercise should be something that gets your heart rate up for a measurable/determined period of time, and unless you have some remarkably consistent-intense housework routine, counting it would probably just trick yourself into eating more net carbs. Exceptions might be gardening, mowing, building something, painting, etc., but not week to week stuff.

    Now that's not to say you couldn't add or do week to week housework in a way that might burn some more calories or help build a little muscle (e.g. stand/jog in place with doing laundry, do some squats every time you put some dishes in the dishwasher, etc.). But, even then, I wouldn't suggest factoring that in to anything; just as good traits to do.
  • pbrahan
    pbrahan Posts: 107 Member
    Only on MyFitnessPal have I seen people consider cleaning and food preparation to be "exercise."

    Here Here!
    It might be okay to log it, but it's not okay to then eat those calories back.
  • Jerrypeoples
    Jerrypeoples Posts: 1,541 Member
    can i log BM's? i will guarantee you that i have used more effort with some than housecleaning or preparing food

    and if so, do i create an infinity loop by eating back the calories?
  • JessicaRobin67
    JessicaRobin67 Posts: 275 Member
    No, I do not log housework. That is what I do for a living and I work, mostly, 9 hours a day doing it... and I still gained weight. So, I have to only log intentional exercise... my body is just used to the normal housework. I am talking, vacuuming, laundry, mopping, moving furniture...etc.
  • KAS0917
    KAS0917 Posts: 172 Member
    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!)

    I will sometimes get a few extra calories added because of the number of steps I took when my FitBit syncs if I burned more than my base - which could have been from cleaning, or walking all over airports, or whatever. But that logs automatically. Great if it's there - I just aim to not have negative calories from my FitBit.

    I have a friend who gave herself 500 calories yesterday for knitting / sewing. I laughed (to myself) when I saw that in my timeline.
  • crystalmoore83
    crystalmoore83 Posts: 103 Member
    I don't log everyday light cleaning like dishes, wiping counter and dusting, etc, but if I do log if It is something that takes a lot more effort, like when I move all my furniture from the living room and spend 2 hours pushing a heavy shampooer over it then ya I will log it as moderate house work, but ordinary basic cleaning I don't think really counts
  • SakuraRose13
    SakuraRose13 Posts: 621 Member
    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
    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
    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
    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
    It's considered exercise for me because I never do it. LOL
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    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
    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
    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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