Do you count cleaning as exercise?
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IMO, if you have a Fitbit or at least have an activity level that accounts for regular daily activity at a level reasonable for you there's no need to count it. But if you chose sedentary (which few really are, I believe, but the description leads lots of people to pick) and don't account for it in some other way, you probably should.0
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I count cleaning and cooking/food prep because any activity for me is strenuous due to the chronic Fibromyalgia pain. Honestly, I can't do much hardcore exercise, so I get it where I can.0
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No. I don't do it long enough or strenuously enough to break a sweat. I don't think I get much of a calorie burn from it. I don't count everyday type of activities (cooking, going up the stairs, walking around the office, housecleaning) for my exercise log.0
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Absolutely not. Cleaning was never enough exercise to keep me from getting fat and out of shape, so I'm not going to count it. I mean I could scrap for every possible calorie I possibly can. Count every flight of stairs I walk up and every time I lift something, but realistically your calorie goal already takes into consideration the things you do on a daily basis. So if those things weren't enough to keep you in shape before, there is no sense in counting them. You're really cheating yourself by counting those things and I tend to find that people who use household projects or their work as their exercise are greatly disappointed with their results.0
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No that is just desperation.0
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If it's something in would normally do like cleaning, washing clothes and similar stuff I Don't Log It. I've always done things like this but I haven't always walked for hours or ran or did resistance training so these thongs I would log, but I would end this with, to each his or her own. If you're losing weight and logging these things help you in some way then I say Go For It but don't use it as an excuse to be able to eat more if your not losing !!!0
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I only count the gym. I feel that if I did the things I do when I got fat, then they are just part of my daily activity (dog walking, swimming with kids, hiking, shopping, yard work, cleaning)..... Even if they are outside the normal, they are still things I did before. Now I do think someone that was bedridden and is just starting to get mobile should count anything that took at least a moderate effort.
Today I reseeded my back yard from the constant rain and dogs. The dirt was hard packed and I had to break it up and turn the soil, put new soil down and re-rake. It took about 2 hours to do what I needed. I didn't count it, but when I went to a party today, I didn't worry if I may go slightly over.
Side note count what you want, but you could be sabotaging yourself. I will admit to being very bothered by those that count shopping.... Unless you didn't shop before then that is fine, but as you become more active it would be better to adjust your daily activity.0 -
Any movement is exercise, especially if is heavy work such as weeding the garden.0
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I would definitely add mowing my push mowing my lawn it is large enough that it takes me about two to two and a half hours to mow and when I am done I am in so much pain I have to sit down for a while. But I weigh almost four hundred obs so just going to the corner store is excersize to me lol.0
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...I can understand logging out-of-the-norm activities. I've just operated under the idea that regular chores contribute to activity level rather than logged exercise.
This is the way MFP's activity levels are designed to work. If it's extraordinary activity, you could log it, but if it's normal stuff, it should already be accounted for under the activity level you chose when you set up your account.0 -
Normal day to day cleaning I don't but if its a big clean I will. Lawn mowing etc yes I do. Spent 2 hours pushing a manual mower at the allotment yesterday with the blisters to prove it
I don't eat back these calories but I log them down because it enables me to look back over my days and see that I did actually get off my butt and do something. Do what works for you, my way is working for me 0 -
IMO, if you have a Fitbit or at least have an activity level that accounts for regular daily activity at a level reasonable for you there's no need to count it. But if you chose sedentary (which few really are, I believe, but the description leads lots of people to pick) and don't account for it in some other way, you probably should.
QFT. I have a FitBit and I found out that I only get the "sedentary" calories when my step count for the day is <3000. It may sound high if you don't have a pedometer, but believe me, it's not. I usually get to 500 steps first thing in the morning just by waking up, opening the window, going to the bathroom, washing myself, getting dressed and preparing breakfast.0 -
It depends actually. If you are moving heavy furniture to clean the floor under it or rearranging your cabinets for hours, then yes. If you are doing heavy spring cleaning and you are drenched with sweat then yes. But if its just light cleaning and dusting for less than 30 minutes then no.
But hey, any physical activity is better than nothing!0 -
No, I don't count any of it.0
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god no....I cleaned when I was getting fat, cleaned while I was fat and still clean.
Mowing nope
Pulling weeds nope
Gardening nope
None of it.
If I did it while I was getting fat and while I was fat I don't log it.
I helped my sister in law and her 3 roommates move...7 hours of carrying boxes, furniture etc...didn't count it.
I will be gardening today (getting the garden ready) I wont log it
We will be getting wood soon for the winter it wont get logged...This I probably could as it is a once a year thing and it's hard work but still wont do it...I just wont be as sore now.
If I mowed nope...I will clean the driveway soon it wont get logged.
Purposeful exercise that I do for the pure reason of exercise is what I log.
The other stuff is part of my life and always has been.0 -
Sometimes when I'm desperate for a few more calories...yep. Not even embarassed.:smooched:0
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I don't, just because I'm more likely to eat ALLLLL those calories back. Oh, look, I burned 200 calories pulling weeds? Guess who's getting piiiiieeee?!
That's just me, though. I can understand logging out-of-the-norm activities. I've just operated under the idea that regular chores contribute to activity level rather than logged exercise.
MMMM....piiiiieeeeee! Wait what?0 -
General housework I wouldn't count because its what I do day to day and it wouldn't change the routine but when I did the lawns the other day I did count them because its a major effort for me and MFP does recognise it as cardio. Everyone will have a difference of opinion and its really down to personal preference.0
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I count cleaning and cooking/food prep because any activity for me is strenuous due to the chronic Fibromyalgia pain. Honestly, I can't do much hardcore exercise, so I get it where I can.
Same for me, because of arthritis.0 -
I tend to if it's things like I did today such as turning over and digging flower beds, stuff I do every couple of weeks as to me that's a work out! I also do if it's something like shifting heavy boxes or the like. It usually goes under "cleaning light effort" which when I'm panting and puffing seems a bit unfair I don't generally put in the tidying I do on a regular day to day basis though as I feel that that comes under my general fitness. 0
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Nope. I did it before when I was fatter; clearly it didn't benefit me then so why the hell would I try to cheat myself by counting it as exercise and getting extra calories from it now? If I was doing a "we're moving out and the whole house has to be spotless in one day" clean then MAYBE but barring that, no way.0
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If I am cleaning the barn or the goat enclosure or if I am cleaning crates/kennels, I count it. If I am doing vigorous activity that makes me sweat, such as moving things to sweep or mop, I count it. Doing dishes, no. I *do* count walking dogs, since we walk for exercise, not to stop and sniff the flowers every few feet. I only count actual movement time, though, and try to estimate the time we spend waiting to cross the street or whatever so that I can subtract it.0
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If I am cleaning the barn or the goat enclosure or if I am cleaning crates/kennels, I count it. If I am doing vigorous activity that makes me sweat, such as moving things to sweep or mop, I count it. Doing dishes, no. I *do* count walking dogs, since we walk for exercise, not to stop and sniff the flowers every few feet. I only count actual movement time, though, and try to estimate the time we spend waiting to cross the street or whatever so that I can subtract it.
I like this approach although I live in a hot climate and it doesn't take much to make me break a sweat lol, I certainly can't use that as an indicator personally. I do, though, make a definite distinction between "house cleaning" and "mucking stalls" cleaning! I will note again though that if I was mucking stalls and cleaning the chicken coop when I was morbidly obese then I can't see how I should count it as exercise toward extra calories now.0 -
Because it was still exercise even then. Being morbidly obese has nothing to do with it. It's like tracking calories--if a person is morbidly obese and starts tracking foods, then it's likely s/he will consume less due to greater awareness. If a person tracks his/her exercise and gets to see the benefits (or sees how little is burned), even estimated, the s/he is more likely to do more. It doesn't always work out that way, but most people do play such psychological games with themselves.0
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Nope. I only count intentional exercise.0
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NO, only actual exercise.0
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Part of normal activity for me. But I typically don't make a big deal of eating a bit over my goal either.0
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i logged cleaning the house for the first time the other day. i did end up breaking a sweat and was cleaning constantly for 2 hours. when i logged it, MFP said it was like 400 calories for the two hours. somehow i do not believe it could nearly be that much, so i just did not eat back any of those calories that day.0
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I only counted it when I was off work with a broken foot and otherwise incredibly sedentary. I have my activity level set at very active because of my job and I don't log any exercise anymore. If I was going to the gym or doing anything extra outside of work I would though. I know a portion of people on here will log everything. Around Christmas somebody was posting about how to log exercise for setting up their Christmas tree! I think it's a matter of personal opinion, but since all calorie amounts are estimates and many people feel that the exercise calories are WAY over-estimated, I feel it's best to only log actual exercise.0
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Look up NEAT..next caller.0
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