is this exercise?

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xojox
xojox Posts: 187 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
This is an honest question..

I have just completed roughly 2 hours of ironing!! I was stood up for the whole time and dancing and singing along to my ipod for most of it. The fresh ironing has been placed in different places all over the room, so i wasn't stood still and i did work up a bit of a sweat.

So do i put this as cleaning, light effort?? opinions please!!!

Replies

  • pelelovesme1011
    pelelovesme1011 Posts: 33
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    If you were moving and grooving, I would definitely count it as some sort of light exercise. When I clean my apartment, I count it as cleaning, light or moderate effort (depending on how dirty the place is, hehe).
  • TabiHerbalifeCoach
    TabiHerbalifeCoach Posts: 691 Member
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    is this type of activity normal in your daily life? if so its already factored in if not, i suppose you could count it as exercise but unless you have an hrm i'm not sure how you would count the calories.
  • abricklin
    abricklin Posts: 156 Member
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    is this type of activity normal in your daily life? if so its already factored in if not, i suppose you could count it as exercise but unless you have an hrm i'm not sure how you would count the calories.

    Since you asked, here is my 5 cents on household chores as exercise: you did not become overweight by ironing, cleanining lightly or moderately, or going to the grocery store. The sweat could be from your vigorous labor but if the weather near you is like it is here, I sweat just sitting and eating dinner if the AC is not on.

    I suppose if you went on a 6 hour intense cleaning spree (mopping, scrubbing, bending, reaching,c arrying heavy loads, etc) I would maybe count that for 100-200 calories but otherwise, not really, especially if you eat all/most of your exercise calories.
  • xojox
    xojox Posts: 187 Member
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    to be honest its not part of my daily routine but i do count the rest of my cleaning, and up and back from the school etc in that having 3 kids i'm normally on the go and don't count this.

    However i am having a really good sing and dance but i don't want to put in too many cals, and i try to only eat approx half my exercise cals, which seems to b working for me xx
  • Natalie43
    Natalie43 Posts: 122 Member
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    next time wear a HRM that should help...
  • jkohan
    jkohan Posts: 184 Member
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    No, not in my opinion.
  • smuehlbauer
    smuehlbauer Posts: 1,041 Member
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    I say no.
    Mowing the law is one thing, ironing - not so much.
  • MrsBattousai
    MrsBattousai Posts: 171
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    The only time I count cleaning is when I'm spring cleaning or heavy duty cleaning like scrubbing floors or thiungs I only do once in a while! Good luck!
  • sharonuk10
    sharonuk10 Posts: 277
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    This is where an HRM is a good investment. I used mine this morning for 64 minutes of cleaning including sweeping and mopping floors. HRM said I burn 229 calories. Why do I count this one might say.. when I signed up for MFP I said my activity was sedentary. So figure I was not just sitting as I normally would do for that 64 minutes. With that said I do not count this everyday. I just wanted to see what I would burn doing household chores. I will be doing a dvd workout later today as well.

    Sharon

    edited to correct spelling error.
  • 00trayn
    00trayn Posts: 1,849 Member
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    Since I set my activity level as sedentary, I tend to count things like shopping and longer cleaning sessions. I wear my HRM actually when I go to the mall usually and I burn about 300 an hour shopping. Whenever I exercise with my HRM, I subtract out my BMR calories that I would have burned anyway sitting. So it's jut about a calorie a minute, that way as long as I burn more than 60 calories in the hour of doing whatever, It's worth counting for me.
  • Buckeye_Mama
    Buckeye_Mama Posts: 30 Member
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    When I do vigorous, literally all day cleaning, something I only do when my house gets completely out of hand, that's when I'll give myself a freebie beer or glass of wine for my efforts after I'm finished. Other than that occassional type of cleaning, I do not count normal everyday pick up the house, clean the bathroom type cleaning because I consider that part of my lifestyle.

    If you choose sedentary in your lifetstyle settings, then maybe I would count your cleaning calories, but otherwise I wouldn't. Just my two cents.
  • MsElphaba
    MsElphaba Posts: 432 Member
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    I would say why do you want to count it? Are you trying to sneak in some extra calories?

    I don't count anything beyond my actual exercise time, even walking the dogs at night. Like others have said, if it is part of your daily routine it shouldn't count and I have just about always been out with my dogs for their evening walk.

    L
  • xojox
    xojox Posts: 187 Member
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    thank you all for your opinions, i don't think i'm going to count it.

    I think although i was really going for it, i didn't feel like i'd had a workout like i would when i go dog walking or swimming.

    Thanks for helping xxx
  • FainJ
    FainJ Posts: 25
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    I was scrolling through, and I love your ticker! Had to say something about it. Good luck to you.

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