Cleaning as an exercise??

Options
2

Replies

  • navyrigger46
    navyrigger46 Posts: 1,301 Member
    Options
    Cleaning is just another part of the day. I don't log it. Loggable exercise to me is what I do in addition to my daily activities. For example, I wouldn't consider things like, getting out of bed, brushing teeth, getting dressed or breathing as cardio. Even mowing the lawn and working in the garden don't qualify in my book.

    Rigger
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
    Options
    stuff like that should just be included in your activity level. If I happen to have a big day in the yard doing some landscaping or stacking firewood or something, I just chalk it up to some extra activity and know it does the body good. I don't bother logging and trying to eat back those calories or anything...I only do that with deliberate exercise of at least moderate effort.
  • Foodiethinking
    Foodiethinking Posts: 240 Member
    Options
    I sometimes log it, it sounds really bad, but I clean about once or twice a week and then do it all in one hit sometimes. Or I do it when I have less time then I'm running around like a moron :)
  • Quieau
    Quieau Posts: 428 Member
    Options
    If I sweat, it counts! I don't count daily stuff, though ... just the big 2-3 hour projects that wear me out and drench me with sweat.

    Loading the dishwasher, or doing laundry? Nope. Just happy that I'm not eating!
  • RomaWT
    RomaWT Posts: 17 Member
    Options
    I dont count cleaning as exercise. I have been cleaning for years and still putting on the pounds. So I just consider it a part of my routine. However, twice I did add snow shoveling as cardio. We have a big driveway and it really felt like I had a real work out by the time I was done.
  • tcols25
    tcols25 Posts: 3
    Options
    I add it if it is above and beyond what I would normally do. Moving a bunch of boxes/furniture, doing a "big clean", if I break a sweat I add it, otherwise I don't :)
  • k8blujay2
    k8blujay2 Posts: 4,941 Member
    Options
    If you are set to sedentary I say go ahead an add it... I don't add it because my fitbit does for me. This last week and a half, I added on average an extra 200-500 calories a day by doing cleaning. But I have both profiles set to sedentary, as I am sitting most of the time at my desk. And if anyone gives you flak for it... just ignore it.
  • k8blujay2
    k8blujay2 Posts: 4,941 Member
    Options
    I dont count cleaning as exercise. I have been cleaning for years and still putting on the pounds. So I just consider it a part of my routine. However, twice I did add snow shoveling as cardio. We have a big driveway and it really felt like I had a real work out by the time I was done.

    I'm going to be blunt because I see this answer every. single. time. this subject pops up.... you got fat even when cleaning not because cleaning doesn't help you lose weight... but because you ate more calories than your body could burn... the cleaning is irrelevent... running a marathon would be irrelevent.
  • Morgaath
    Morgaath Posts: 679 Member
    Options
    Since it is not a daily thing for me, and when I clean I normally get active enough to break a sweat, I count it....I just don't enter it as I let my BodyMedia take care of that.
    I don't count walking around gather plates and cups...I mean, sweeping, moping, scrubbing the bathroom, vacuuming, hauling stuff from room to room, shifting furniture so I can get under it, etc. The day after my last party I could feel the effects of all the activity, and since the wildest we got was playing board games, I don't think that was it. And per my BM, I burnt more calories than on days I go to the gym and lift weights.
  • keepongoingnmw
    keepongoingnmw Posts: 371 Member
    Options
    I don't just guess I spend an hour a day and log it in.
    Sometimes to motivate myself to clean I put a timer on and clean as "vigorously " as I can then log it.
    I don't do this every day. I sweep and do dishes and laundry every day but only log it when I actually time it with a purpose to use lots of effort if that makes sense....
  • Calliope610
    Calliope610 Posts: 3,775 Member
    Options
    When I was gaining weight, I was doing housework. If it didn't work as exercise then, don't see how it will help me lose weight now.
  • Calliope610
    Calliope610 Posts: 3,775 Member
    Options
    I dont count cleaning as exercise. I have been cleaning for years and still putting on the pounds. So I just consider it a part of my routine. However, twice I did add snow shoveling as cardio. We have a big driveway and it really felt like I had a real work out by the time I was done.

    I'm going to be blunt because I see this answer every. single. time. this subject pops up.... you got fat even when cleaning not because cleaning doesn't help you lose weight... but because you ate more calories than your body could burn... the cleaning is irrelevent... running a marathon would be irrelevent.

    so it's about the calories you eat, not the housework you do, right?
  • LynseyZombie
    LynseyZombie Posts: 69 Member
    Options
    I do part time work cleaning 2 hrs every day. I don't count it though Into my exercise regime. I guess it's because I'd rather count the things in like dancing as I made dancing an effort to help lose the weight :)
  • Morgaath
    Morgaath Posts: 679 Member
    Options
    I dont count cleaning as exercise. I have been cleaning for years and still putting on the pounds. So I just consider it a part of my routine. However, twice I did add snow shoveling as cardio. We have a big driveway and it really felt like I had a real work out by the time I was done.

    And all those years of cleaning and adding weight, were you limiting your calorie intake, or doing something more like eating a family sized bag of chips while drinking a non-diet soda? See, that is the difference.

    Put another way, before you were giving your car 12 gallons of fuel every day, and only burning 10 of them.
    Now you are giving your car 8 gallons, and burning 10...and then you sometimes make additional trips, so you burn and extra gallon or 2.
  • k8blujay2
    k8blujay2 Posts: 4,941 Member
    Options
    I dont count cleaning as exercise. I have been cleaning for years and still putting on the pounds. So I just consider it a part of my routine. However, twice I did add snow shoveling as cardio. We have a big driveway and it really felt like I had a real work out by the time I was done.

    I'm going to be blunt because I see this answer every. single. time. this subject pops up.... you got fat even when cleaning not because cleaning doesn't help you lose weight... but because you ate more calories than your body could burn... the cleaning is irrelevent... running a marathon would be irrelevent.

    so it's about the calories you eat, not the housework you do, right?

    You bring in more calories than you can burn you get fat... no?
  • Marilyn773
    Marilyn773 Posts: 10 Member
    Options
    I add cleaning and cooking because I am sedentary due to illness and age. Just getting up and having a shower can be difficult and tiring. I was so glad that I can add these as it can be an achievement for me. So I think it depends on each person - how fit they are and what they understand as exercise for them. :happy:
  • susie3g
    susie3g Posts: 267
    Options
    I have my activity level set to sedentary.. I don't log normal cleaning.. 10 minutes here, 15 minutes there etc.... but i will log if i spend a whole chunk of time doing something.. deep cleaning the kitchen for example.

    This is exactly the same for me.
  • keepongoingnmw
    keepongoingnmw Posts: 371 Member
    Options
    If you accurately log in your food and count cleaning as exercise and are losing weight what is the harm? If your counting it and logging food acuraty and not losing weight........
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    Options
    If you are severely obese, or truly sedentary due to an injury or something, then yes, log cleaning. If you are fairly mobile and chose any other setting except sedentary, then no, do not log cleaning.
  • Stinkerbelle84
    Stinkerbelle84 Posts: 328
    Options
    I don't log the day to day stuff (laundry, dishes, picking around the house). I did log an hour today, but spent several hours doing "spring cleaning." I washed linens, curtains, scrubbed bathrooms, baseboards, floors, and windows. I worked up a bit of a sweat and was doing little extra exercises to keep my heart rate up.

    My opinion is to be honest with yourself. If you truly believe you burned some noteworthy calories and got your heart rate up, then log away. If you are not honest about it and just log it to show a burn then you are only hurting yourself.

Categories