“Hey, That’s Exercise!” (Actually, It Might Not Be.)

omid990

Attention shoppers: Window shopping is not a workout. Which daily tasks do make the cut as exercise? FITNESS Magazine breaks it down here.

Walking
Does It Count? IT DEPENDS
A leisurely stop-and-shop visit to the mall won’t get your heart rate up to the cardio zone and keep it there. What does? A walk at a peppy pace of at least three miles per hour done in chunks of 10 minutes or more. Still, adding up steps at any speed is smart since studies show that those who take more of them are healthier. In one recent study, participants who increased their daily step count over five years not only lowered their body mass index (or BMI, a scale body weight), they lowered their risk of diabetes. Researchers estimate that going from 3,000 to 10,000 steps a day would improve a person’s insulin sensitivity threefold. MORE: What's Your BMI? Calculate it, fast!

Cleaning the House
Does It Count? YES
There's a reason they call it housework, honey. You can burn serious calories and work major muscle groups during a marathon cleaning session—mopping floors for 30 minutes burns 112 calories and works your shoulders and biceps. Chores that don’t get your heart pumping? Folding laundry, ironing and washing the dishes. MORE: Dance away dirt with this Ultimate Spring-Cleaning Playlist



Walking Your Dog
Does It Count? YES

You have to walk your dog anyway, so bump up the workout with this little game: When you're in your yard or a fenced-in park, get a head start on your dog so it's chasing you. Then change direction so it races for you again. Try walking for three minutes and then sprinting for 30 seconds. Chase your pup fives times every doggy outing, and you'll burn 98 calories per 20-minute stroll.



Taking the Stairs
Does It Count? YES
Think of climbing a flight of stairs as a series of butt-firming, leg-toning lunges that counts as anaerobic exercise. (Spread it over 30-minutes on the StairMaster and now we’re talking cardio.) To get the best fitness benefits, it’s best to take them two at a time, according to a study at Pennsylvania State University in University Park. “You use bigger muscle groups when you skip a step,” lead author Jinger Gottschall, Ph.D., says. “Since these muscles require more energy to be active, you end up burning more calories.”

PLUS: 13 Inspiring Before-and-After Weight Loss Stories


Carrying Your Baby or Pushing a Stroller
Does It Count? IT DEPENDS
New moms likely rack up a couple dozen biceps curls each day by scooping up junior and a prolonged arm muscle contraction by cradling him—but cardio exercise it’s not. A better bet: Pushing the stroller at a 3-mile-per-hour pace or playing tag with your toddler. MORE: Lose the baby weight in one month with this No Fuss Workout Slideshow



Gardening
Does It Count? YES
Between all the up-and-down moves, lugging materials from the shed, winding up a hose after watering the lawn, and much more, 60 minutes of gardening can burn more than 250 calories all while working your arms and backs of your legs.


Playing Wii Games
Does It Count? IT DEPENDS
You won’t work up a sweat if your video game of choice is Guitar Hero, but a study by the American Council on Exercise found that others like Wii Fit’s Island Run and Free Run burn about 5.5 calories per minute. Still, say the study authors, it’s a “very, very mild workout” so opting for a Wii Sports title may be more of the jumping around you need to turn up the burn.


http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/hey-that-s-exercise-actually-it-might-not-be-2453746/

NeuroticVirgo

Thanks for posting, it was neat to read. I don't like logging anything that wasn't intended as exercise just because a lot of stuff can "depend". Like Housework...it says yes...but then puts on the bottom "but these things don't count"..... Well...what if someone counted them because they did 2 hours of housework which could have included mopping but also laundry....I'd rather not count any of it, and just let those things be "extra" that I don't know about.

kelika71

Interesting, but most of these, I wouldn't count for my cals burnt at all. I shopped, cleaned house, walked dogs...most of the list...and, I still was fat. The only thing on this list that I ever counted was gardening. Not watering or picking veggies, I'm talking pulling weeds, planting, digging...the hardcore stuff that actually works up a sweat...and, only if I did it for more than an hour.

My own opinion, to each their own, I think if you're trying to log all this stuff as a workout, you're only cheating yourself. Unless I'm sweating, out of breath and my heart is pounding, it doesn't count to me. I don't count sex, either. Some things, just chalk up to a bonus.

AsaThorsWoman

I count it. And I'm about to do some nasty mopping

AggieCass09

This could just be me, but I only count "exercise" as something that i do for 40 min or more and burn a huge sweat. I feel the other stuff (cleaning, stairs, gardening, etc.) should be included in your activity level when you set your BMR.

delilah514

I always count my house work. But I only allow up to 60 minutes to be counted. When I get going I can clean from any where from 1 to 3 hours straight, but I don't want to allow myself extra calories just because I cleaned. So I only count the first hour. I still try to get in a walk or something else as well when I clean as well just for the extra burn.

lordofultima

My main cardio is a brisk walk on an empty stomach in the morning, so I definitely consider walking cardio. You don't have to sweat profusely to burn a couple hundred calories. Since outside of my exercise, I literally sit down in front of a computer ALL DAY, I will continue to do my walk in the morning and count that as cardio. Because that's what it is!

happy_vegan

Haha, I wasn't counting my 6 mile bike rides as exercise until I got a HRM. Then when I saw that I actually did burn 300 calories I was like hmm..okay..but it still feels like cheating housework, gardening?? never!

3ur3ka

Interesting, but most of these, I wouldn't count for my cals burnt at all. I shopped, cleaned house, walked dogs...most of the list...and, I still was fat. The only thing on this list that I ever counted was gardening. Not watering or picking veggies, I'm talking pulling weeds, planting, digging...the hardcore stuff that actually works up a sweat...and, only if I did it for more than an hour.

My own opinion, to each their own, I think if you're trying to log all this stuff as a workout, you're only cheating yourself. Unless I'm sweating, out of breath and my heart is pounding, it doesn't count to me. I don't count sex, either. Some things, just chalk up to a bonus.

When I clean, I CLEAN. I get into it. I'm usually a sweaty beast when I'm done.


and sex.. it counts if you do it right.

codexica

This could just be me, but I only count "exercise" as something that i do for 40 min or more and burn a huge sweat. I feel the other stuff (cleaning, stairs, gardening, etc.) should be included in your activity level when you set your BMR.

This.

CallejaFairey

i think something that also has to be considered is how in shape the person doing any of those activities are. for me, i walk my dog everyday, and i make sure it isn't just a leisurely stroll (not that my dog would let me just stroll...lol), and i count that as cardio. but, i am not tiny, and up until a few months ago, i didn't walk ever, so for me, that walk does get my HR up, it does give me a little sweat, but in another few months, it won't, at least i sure hope it won't, i hope i will be in better condition by then. someone in much better shape then me would probably not benefit nearly as much from that walk. same with some of the other things not counted as exercise.

as long as you aren't counting these things JUST so you can have another helping at supper, any movement is good movement, and only you really know if your body sees it as exercise.

ladybu6205

I don't count it as exercise since I take it into consideration on how active I am on any normal given day... I do dishes daily, I do laundry almost daily, I offload hundreds of boxes ranging from a couple of pounds to 30+ pounds 2-5 times a week. I also move appliances around occasionally at work too....I can even walk up to 10 miles in an 8 hour shift on super busy days... So, I would rather post my daily activities as being moderate to heavy, then have to track EVERY aspect of my day. I stick to logging my actual workouts or things I don't normally do. Everything else is already taken into consideration that way...

bhb301

I read someone commented on here one time, if it was something they did when they were fat they didn't count it. I have never heard of anyine just thin just my housework. But maybe that's my point of view.

lkkyer

I'm starting to log my cleaning if it's running the sweeper, cleaning the shower, etc. However, I'm not eating those calories. It's really just a way to see how much I can keep myself from sitting on the couch. The way I see it, any movement is better than no movement.

HealthyBrandi

Thanks for some extra inspiration to both do some extra exercise and get my housework and gardening done. How can you put estimates on how many calories you burned?

HeadsPoppingOutOfCups

I'd say cleaning can definitely burn some calories but I'd have no idea how to log it, even if I do get all dirty and sweaty doing so. When I walk my dogs I round my time down as he does take time to pee and such. I took them for an hour and fifteen walk at the part today but only put in an hour so I wouldn't over estimate how many calories. Also, the Wii Fit does work as long as you're doing the right exercises. I took a break from the gym today and did an hour on the Wii Fit. I know a lot of the exercises are too mild on there but I worked up quite a sweat just doing the Hula Hoop, boxing, and my favorite, the obstacle course. I really, really wish they'd do like a real full level game like the obstacle course. It reminds me of Mario but instead of just pressing right you actually have to run yourself. Could you imagine how much of a workout it could be if you played two hours of Mario where you're doing all the stuff he is?

HealthyBrandi

I track my dog walking by averaging my mph with the total distance and amount of time it took. It slows me down, but he loves and needs walks. I use the logyourrun app to help me identify speed.