Beware the cleanng "exercise"

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BobbyDaniel
BobbyDaniel Posts: 1,460 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I know this has been addressed before, often...but just wanted to mention it one more time! If you count your house cleaning as exercise, beware the actual calories you might be burning. Today I shampooed the carpets in our house, 3 rooms, took a little less than 90 minutes and my HRM said I burned 101 calories, which I probably won't count in my daily total. When I punched it into the "cleaning, light, moderate effort" exercise data base it told me 267 calories. So, a pretty good discrepancy, IMHO.
Let me just add this quick disclaimer too, I do run and my resting heart rate usually stays between 45-65 bpm most of the time, so getting my heart rate up does take a little effort, but I would also think pushing and pulling a Rug Doctor is a bit more than "light, moderate effort".
Just my 2 cents, if it is worth that much to you!

***Sorry about the typo on "cleaning", using a small keyboard on a netbook.
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Replies

  • RMD2173
    RMD2173 Posts: 4
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    I think everyone has to beware any of the user added "exercises" - I think the amount of calories you burn depends on the individual and that can't be grouped into one section/amount of calories burned/time spent doing that particular exercise. thanks for the head's up though!!!!!
  • Missevanston
    Missevanston Posts: 361 Member
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    Point taken. I never included regular house cleaning. Just doesn't seem fair. Now, if I were helping a friend move, or carrying boxes up and down stair for an hour...maybe I would consider it.
  • ajbeans
    ajbeans Posts: 2,857 Member
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    I've always assumed the estimate on MFP was high, so while I do count cleaning in my exercise, I generally only count about half the time I actually worked, and I don't eat all of those cals back. I mostly only count it for added motivation to get up and moving. :)
  • EbonyGemstoneHealth
    EbonyGemstoneHealth Posts: 249 Member
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    I never log cleaning/walking lightly because of this reason. lol
  • DJJW
    DJJW Posts: 519 Member
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    I never count cleaning. I do it off and on all day. It's just a bonus if I'm burning any calories.
  • gracefullyjenn
    gracefullyjenn Posts: 148
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    all of the exercise calories burned are on the high level. Not just cleaning!! I only count my cleaning when I do heavy cleaning because I lowered my activity level down to sedetary even though I have 5 kids and am always running around
  • LovelySnugs
    LovelySnugs Posts: 389
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    absolutely! the only time i list cleaning as "exercise" is when my husband and i are doing stuff like moving furniture and cleaning out closets. and then i only count about half the time i actually worked, because i assume i'm not burning anything while i'm sorting through the contents of various boxes.
  • jrich1
    jrich1 Posts: 2,408 Member
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    I see a lot of people who log cleaning and everything to cooking as exercise, they are just cheating themselves.
  • anubis609
    anubis609 Posts: 3,966 Member
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    Yeah, I would consider those "sedentary activities" where even if they're not part of your daily routine, it's not outside the norm of hard cardio. Considering that we have about the same resting HR, I approximately burn 100 cal/hr just doing normal daily activities, regardless of intensity since it takes, what seems like, an exorbitant amount of effort just to get my HR high enough for me to even break a sweat. I barely start sweating after the warm-up routine for Insanity...but then it pours out during the stretch.
  • Sumo813
    Sumo813 Posts: 566 Member
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    It's really a "beware to everything"... this is not an exact science. Everything that is calculated, be it on MFP, another site, the bodybugg/bodymedia, HRMs... it's all "best estimates" at best. Consider it all more of a guideline. But it's always better to err on the side of caution and take the lower number. I am surprised with what the bodybugg calculates when I clean. But then I realize I have a nice sweat worked up and know that I burned something.

    The unfortunate thing is, that this holds true for the calories we consume as well. The science is a little more exact, but anyone who has used the barcode scanner and gotten "asparagus" when scanning a bottle of light balsamic dressing knows that there are mistakes. I have a co-worker who enjoys the heck out of Publix Grocers Popcorn Chicken. Well some genius entered in something crazy like 200 calories for 4 CUPS of fried, popcorn chicken. So when they would get their 4oz cup, it was coming up as 38 calories. I laughed because anyone with any common sense would know better. I wrote to the store and requested nutritional data (they will gladly give you anything you request, just takes a few days) and updated the nutritional data.

    Point is, it's all guesswork. Calories in, or calories out.
    I've always assumed the estimate on MFP was high, so while I do count cleaning in my exercise, I generally only count about half the time I actually worked, and I don't eat all of those cals back. I mostly only count it for added motivation to get up and moving. :)

    I tend to do something similar when I'm sparring. I can't keep the bodybugg on while doing that because I'm constantly blocking kicks with my arms and shoulders (great bruises for proof too! lol). And the last time I compared MFP's calculation vs. the Bodybugg website (for manual entry), MFP calculated about 300 more calories burned. I also log cleaning (on Sundays) because I'm usually going between 30 and 90 minutes and the bugg calculates a pretty good burn (but I'm also weighing in over 300lbs as well)
  • rmhand
    rmhand Posts: 1,067 Member
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    Point taken. I never included regular house cleaning. Just doesn't seem fair. Now, if I were helping a friend move, or carrying boxes up and down stair for an hour...maybe I would consider it.

    I agree with this one. I logged cleaning the other day when I was helping a friend move furniture and vaccuum but I don't count it cleaning my own house.
  • Marianne1950
    Marianne1950 Posts: 3
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    I never count any of my non-exercise related moves be it cleaning, gardening, sweeping as they can give me a false sense of surplus calories to use up. I stick to counting my daily walks and work-outs. That way anything else I do just is an added bonus.
  • FearAnLoathing
    FearAnLoathing Posts: 4,852 Member
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    I cleaned my house just as much now as I did when I was at my biggest,lol it didnt do me much good then so I dont track it now.
    It dosent get my heart rate up and I dont even sweat
  • rozamu
    rozamu Posts: 45 Member
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    Good to know. I sometimes log cleaning when I do like 2 hrs. I'll be more careful now.
  • Cmccracken1
    Cmccracken1 Posts: 326 Member
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    I dont log my cleaning but when i clean my house every Saturday morning it's two to three hours worth of work i do break a sweat and i never sit down.. i wouldnt feel guilty at all about logging it but i dont because it was something i was doing before i started to lose weight and i want to track my extra activities which include actual workout... but if your cleaning is like mine mopping 1000 sq ft of hardwoods dusting dishes laundry in there too i dont think i'd have a problem with someone telling me they log theirs... on the other hand when i run on the treadmill for 35-40 mins at 5.0 mph it ways i have burned over 200 cals and mfp doesnt allot that much to it. So i think it's all just a guessing game unless you actually use a hrm and figure what you are burning.
  • morty1966
    morty1966 Posts: 250 Member
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    Something to remember is that you were doing this activity (cleaning etc) when you got fat. I only include activity I have added on top of my normal life, such as running or circuits. The other stuff is just living.
  • anubis609
    anubis609 Posts: 3,966 Member
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    I see a lot of people who log cleaning and everything to cooking as exercise, they are just cheating themselves.

    It's not really "cheating" if they consider it motivational for them to perform more activities. I don't care what people do, what they log, or what they eat. I don't live their lives. If it helps them, great. If it hurts them, great. The knowledge of what it is that they're doing to get those results are all that really matters, I believe.
  • ajbeans
    ajbeans Posts: 2,857 Member
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    I see a lot of people who log cleaning and everything to cooking as exercise, they are just cheating themselves.

    It's not really "cheating" if they consider it motivational for them to perform more activities. I don't care what people do, what they log, or what they eat. I don't live their lives. If it helps them, great. If it hurts them, great. The knowledge of what it is that they're doing to get those results are all that really matters, I believe.

    Exactly. I think it's "cheating" if you say you did 3 hours of cleaning when you were sitting there sorting a drawer, and then you eat back all of those calories. But even then, it's not my business. I've been counting my cleaning calories as exercise, and I'm losing faster than MFP said I would, so... clearly it's working for me, at least.
  • lupuslady
    lupuslady Posts: 99
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    I count cleaning and cooking as excercise. I almost never eat my calories burned, it just does not make any sense to me to burn them off then eat them back. But I have severe Rheumotoid Arth., and as I await my first surg date. If my pain level is down to a 5 - 6 area and after doing laundery or cleaning the kitchen it is up to ten. Then believe me I have definitely burned some calories. I love to cook, bake and garden. But the pain is some intense on some days I am lucky if I make myself something to eat.
  • Sumo813
    Sumo813 Posts: 566 Member
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    I see a lot of people who log cleaning and everything to cooking as exercise, they are just cheating themselves.

    It's not really "cheating" if they consider it motivational for them to perform more activities. I don't care what people do, what they log, or what they eat. I don't live their lives. If it helps them, great. If it hurts them, great. The knowledge of what it is that they're doing to get those results are all that really matters, I believe.

    Amen!

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