Counting cleaning as exercise

dedflwrs

If it's something you were doing anyway, before you started on your weight loss program, then I would not count it. If it's something new that has sprung along with all other kinds of changes then maybe yes?

Carlywiese

I would argue that it depends on your activity settings. I've put mine as lightly active, and if I work up a sweat while cleaning, I count it as exercise. If it's light (just dusting, doing dishes, etc.) I don't count it. Moving furniture and doing a heavy duty scrub? Yes, that will definitely burn some serious calories over time! I tend to only log half the time I've actually spent cleaning, as it's been known that MFP can overestimate the calories burnt for many activities.

This exactly! Deep clean days that last 4+ hours and make you hot sweaty and sore and get your heart rate up should be logged IMO. But I never eat back my exercise calories...EVER so I feel like even if I'm wrong it's not gonna hurt because I didn't overeat thinking I had all these extra calories because of it.

Serah87

RaspberryKeytoneBoondoggle

If you've just lost 24 pounds while logging cleaning in your diary, then I'd say you're doing it right. You should be giving us advice:)

Hungry_Annie

I don't ever log anything like that as exercise because to me it *isn't*. It's physically demanding, perhaps, but it's just life. It's not something that I have to find extra motivation for, and schedule in on top of the rest of my day. If I get a few extra calories burned, great. It's a bit of an unplanned bonus. I feel like if I logged things like cleaning as exercise could really set me up to become complacent with exercise. Like, "Oh, I don't need to work out today. I cleaned the house yesterday."

That's just how I see it for myself. Do what works best for you.

I agree. Its just bonus calories burned. Its not exercise to me. The only house work I log is shovelling. Otherwise, its part of life.

Oi_Sunshine

If it increases your heart beat for a prolonged period of time, it is exercise.

If it is an activity not already accounted for in your daily activity level, it is exercise.

If your calorie goal is under TDEE and over your BMR, you are at a healthy deficit for weight loss and should eat back exercise calories. Keep in mind that MFP overestimates calorie burns and people tend to underestimate calorie intake. So don't eat back all of them and be accurate in food logging by measuring and weighing things.

And for people saying "you cleaned before you wanted to lose weight so no you can't", you're mistaken. Before trying to lose weight, people were eating at or above maintenance, eating more food than cleaning/ other activities burned. Just like if you eat more calories than you burn on the treadmill. Exercise isnt limited to certain activities. As long as the calories are not doubly accounted for, it doesnt matter.

FindingAmy77

heck yes, you count that cleaning. I tell everyone who gives the excuse that they don't have time to work out that there is always something to clean at your house. I really get sweaty every few days trying to take care of these tiled floors and dust and cat hairs and messes we make. If I sweat I log it. You bet I do. As far as your activity level: you are not sedentary. if anything you are at least lightly active. if its an everyday thing then just include that cleaning into your activity level so you don't have to have to worry about mfp adding on extra calories to eat. it would be so much simpler.

twopeas2

I don't, but I'm not cleaning for 2 hours a day even with kids here If I was doing 2 hours of full on cleaning a day, then I might log half??? If you're not eating them back though, I wouldn't worry about it.

Asaint63

Should define toy count....so should yard work!

wildskies

I count cleaning if I can tell that I've actually raised my heart rate for more than a couple of minutes while doing it. I also do a lot of heavy lifting at my job and I count that too. But I also do other cardio and unless it's an extreme day I don't usually eat back any of my cleaning/lifting calories.

SomeNights246

Only when it's heavy/vigorous cleaning. IE something I don't do every day that requires a lot of heavy lifting, or a lot of effort.

Dishes, sweeping, things like that? Nope.

But mowing the lawn? I might.

chadya07

i recently stopped counting things i did before i started my weight loss. i figure if they didnt help me before they diet they wont help me after. and that it is just part of life. like... i dont drive and have always spent whole days walking around town on errands. sometimes six or 8 hours. i still ended up 280 pounds so i dont count it in my activity. i might count an hour of a 6 hour stint.

i count when its something i dont do often. otherwise i count intentional out of the daily life routine exersize.

DWBalboa

If you do it everyday it is probably better to count it as part of your daily activity and make yourself lightly active or moderately active in your settings depending on what else you do. If you do it only sometimes then yes 2 hrs of cleaning could be logged but MFP is generous with calories burned so I would underestimate it a bit.

Ditto!

xdannys

I am a single dad to 3 kids - aged 2 1/2, 13 months, and 2 months. I work from home and clean our house for at least 4 hours a day, outside of any exercise I do. I wouldn't count it as exercise each time - it's just life. It does, however, change your activity level.

Edit: It seems to be very split on whether it's exercise or activity... Always do what you're more comfortable with; you can always change your mind!