what do you count as "exercise" what do you log????

merceah

I am curious what everyone is actually counting as their exercise? I see so many options of exercises you can choose from and some of them make me laugh like cleaning, but I get the idea of cleaning counting. what things do you guys count as an exercise and actually log it into your calculations? Thanks in advance, I am still new here. :happy:

Starkle09

i only count things that i actually set out to do as exercise...ie walking, running, strength training. Im not a fan of counting house/cleaning as exercise. for me it feels like im "making up" exercises. but to each his own!

anolan807

The only time I count cleaning is if I am REALLY cleaning scrubbing and moving heavy furniture. Because lets face it when your doing that kind of cleaning your exhausted by the end of it. Every week/day cleaning I do not count.

dls06

I think most people count only planned exercise. If you burn some calories doing chores its a plus but I would not enter it as actual exercise.

mememe66

I'm with Starkle. If I'm not setting out purposely to do some type of exercise activity, I don't count it. (For instance, I don't count housework).

whateverdamnit

I don't count the little things. I only count my gym workouts where I'm actually really sweating.

dblogger

In addition to planned exercise, I count physical activity that raises my heart beyond what I normally do during the week. For example, a couple hours of heavy yard work or a brisk walk for greater than 15 minutes.

darrcn5

I don't count housework because I am set to lightly active, and I think that takes it into account already. I do count stuff that is out of the ordinary, like gardening, shoveling mulch, walking at the zoo, basically stuff I don't do on a regular basis.

Samerah12

Its hard!! I've been here for more than 3 months and I'm still trying to figure out what to log... For awhile I was logging dog walks and yard work but I recently decided to just set my activity level to "active" (it was lightly active or whatever the one below it is) and log only running, hiking or going to the gym. I did this mainly for simplicity's sake, I felt like I was logging a bajillion things everyday! Plus it doesn't leave you too calorie constrained on rest days.

ewalker10

If I work up a sweat doing housecleaning or yard work I definitely count it. If you are moving, your are burning calories... and you should feel good about that

merceah

That is what I have been thinking all along, it sounded funny that it was an option, even if it does burn calories! Thanks guy, that confirmed my original thoughts, I just want to make sure I have the best chance of success with this new tool. I have already felt the difference since joining.

That_Girl

When I started this journey, I was NOT active at all and I counted everything I did. And it worked.

Now, I'm more active (way more active) and I work out and have better stamina so I don't count my daily chores/walking etc.

mpfand

I only log when I go to Curves, hiking, or walking. I don't log house cleaning (no matter how strenuous-lol), general walking (sight seeing, shopping, etc.) I recently painted our bedroom. It took 7 hours, but I didn't log it. I just consider whatever calories I may have burned a bonus!

aquasw16

I think it depends on your intent. If you are thinking, i am gonna shake my butt and put effort into scrubbin this tub and mopping these floors and you break a sweat, heck yes! Count it! I count it..and i count it when i Mow the lawn for 30 mins and break a sweat! You are burning baby!

MB_Positif

I only log things like cleaning if I have gone above and beyond normal everyday stuff...like if I clean out the basement, I log it. But I usually don't log the full amount of time I spent on it because it seems excessive. I figure if I gained all this weight while still keeping a clean house and doing things like chopping vegetables, then it wasn't helping me!

DBabbit

Zumba (aerobics, high), stationary rowing with a resistance band, upper body work with a resistance band (arms, shoulders, back), crunches, sit-ups, ,push-ups, straight-leg lifts, knee lifts, squats, calf raises (seated and standing), shadow boxing (not listed, so I use boxing with a punching bag at half the time).

Kelly_Wilson1990

I guess it depends where you are at in your weight loss journey. When I first started, I logged anything that was out of my normal routine: extra yard work, house cleaning, etc. That was because I was so sedentary in my lifestyle that doing those things was exercise to me. Now that I have lost 100 pounds and can do things with ease, I only log my exercise time at the gym, Zumba, swimming and walking. Things that I do that are intentional exercise.

bluefox9er

I treat ''cleaning'' or shifting heavy stuff etc as an extra bonus, nott he meat and taters of exercise. anything that raises your heart rate and makes you sweat is good for you at the end of the day, but exercise is exercise and cleaning is cleaning!

LorinaLynn

In addition to "normal" exercise, I count heavy cleaning (the kind where I move furniture), yardwork, snow shoveling, and dog walks that are over a mile in length. Under a mile, and I don't bother.

CharlieBarleyMom

I don't set out to Exercise by mowing the lawn and gardening, but I count those, believe me, I count that. To me it's work and I sweat...

I don't count everyday housecleaning, I just count the heavy scrubbing & moving days... same thing goes for cooking. I don't count making turkey burgers for lunch or dinner, but if I'm in the kitchen for 3 hours between cutting, chopping, turning, flipping, washing... all to prepare / cook / put away (freeze) multiple portions of food for the next week (or longer), yes, that I count (sometimes).

But ~ I put myself down as always sitting - the lowest activity you could - because I sit all day at work and I sit while I'm driving to and from work (1.5 hours total)... but I'm always running back up the stairs because I forgot something, going outside to water the plants, go upstairs to get laundry, go back upstairs to get the vacuum cleaner, go back upstairs to get my hair tie so I can exercise, go back upstairs because I left my glasses on the night stand... so sometimes I add in some exercise that might be routine items... I think it all balances out then.

karamille

If it makes me sweat, I count it. But then again... I sweat easily. LOL! Really though... I eat 1500 cals a day (basal metabolic rate) - not the 1200 it gives you. Then on a non work out day, when I do usually scrub the house, I count that. I *really* hate it telling me I am over my calories for the day - its totally psychological. =P so I log that heavy cleaning or if I was double booked at he salon and running around crazy trying to get everything done, which does make me sweat.

Higglyjiggly64

I count anything over and above. Like if I clean vigorously for two hours before I go to work, I'll credit myself with an hour of cleaning. I do not count cleaning on my days off as I feel it takes the place of the 8 hours I put in at work, UNLESS, for whatever reason, I've been going at it for more than 8 hours...Clean house, cut grass, weed garden, etc. Some days are actually like that. I will then give myself credit for two-three hours of labor. I always count our long bike rides. That is exercise I picked up specifically b/c I am trying to lose weight. If I don't count that, what's the point? Anyway, I may not be losing weight fast (28.4 in 130 days) but I don't restrict my foods, so the method must be working OK.

littlecaponey2

i only count things that i actually set out to do as exercise...ie walking, running, strength training. Im not a fan of counting house/cleaning as exercise. for me it feels like im "making up" exercises. but to each his own!

I agree!!! It makes me laugh when people put "cleaning" as their excercise for the day. We all have to clean (well most of us) and I too feel like it is a "make up as you go" excercise. Unless of course that was part of your job...ie a house cleaner.....but then that would be built into your profile so you couldn't count it. Like a landscaper would put his meowing lawns all day as his excercise. I put whatever I have gone above and beyond to do. But to each his own, and I am not here to judge anyone.....it just makes me chuckle a little . Everyone has to do what is right for them and work at their own pace. If it makes you happy, keep on doing it!

hummzz

I only count house cleaning as exercise if I do above and beyond my regular cleaning. I also use the moving boxes up and down stairs because I have an Ebay store and I carry large amounts of inventory up and down the stairs about once a week. Not a regular routine thing. I log gardening when I'm turning dirt because its such a chore, but I don't do it for pulling weeds. So I guess you just have to determine what is normal activity and what is not and log what is not. Oh I also log washing my Jeep when I do it by hand. Now that's a chore and half!!!!! I guess its good for those that really don't get much exercise, but for those of us that exercise often it really isn't a good burn.

Aileen46

The only time I count cleaning is if I am REALLY cleaning scrubbing and moving heavy furniture. Because lets face it when your doing that kind of cleaning your exhausted by the end of it. Every week/day cleaning I do not count.

I do the same.

AlanYee

The only time I counted cleaning/scrubbing and moving heavy boxes as exercise was on the day I moved out of my dorm room two weeks ago. It was well above my usual activity level because I probably spent a combined total of about two hours constantly moving: packing, carrying very heavy bins down the stairs to the car (my dorm room was on the third floor), vacuuming, and lots of scrubbing. I was working up a pretty good sweat by the end of it.

I normally don't do this, though. I usually only log my planned exercise, which typically consists of speed-walking and/or stationary bike.

Hourglass25

Actual exersice, running, weights, jogging walking. ect,I do not log house work or anything that my body is used to doing in the regular basis

chevy88grl

As a rule, the only thing I count as exercise is true exercise. I don't count ANYTHING that I do on a daily basis towards my exercise - I figure if I'm doing it everyday, it is counted in my activity level. However, I WILL count scrubbing floors on my hands and knees, steam cleaning or whatever intense as exercise. If I'm sweating like I've been at the gym and the a/c is running full blast -- I count it. Today I closed up our camper, carried a canoe, and a handful of other out of the ordinary activities. They aren't logged because I'm not sure HOW to log them.

Nikstergirl

Normally I only count "extra" stuff... running, gym days, power walks... but there have been times I count shopping (like being at the mall for 8 hours, but I put down like 3 just to make me feel like I can eat a little more). I don't count grocery shopping or light cleaning or running errands, but if I were moving furniture or painting all weekend, I may count that. It's just more physical than my "everyday" workload. I'm set to "lightly active" because I'm on my feet some at work and that's about it other than my new love of running.

Whatever, it's working for now, but if it weren't, I'd be reassessing.

kitinboots

Anything I set out to do as exercise, plus I add a little for my work if I dance at all or walk into town. I try to underestimate though.

milaxx

It depends on your activity level and body type. Certain things will take more exertion for some people. I am sedentary and have very bad knees. I count mall walking when I run errands because being on my feet for long periods of time requires effort on my part. I also only count house cleaning when I am doing serious scrubbing. Washing dishes or cleaning the litter box don't require the same effort as mopping floors.