Cleaning As An Exercise.

JWoodyard07

It depends. Yesterday I logged mine because I spent 3 hours at my aunts house doing heavy duty stuff without a break. I lifted, reached, bent over and then some and was actually sore more than I am some days working out. Now do I log my little wipe downs no, but if I am deep cleaning then yes I do. According to my HRM yesterday for 3 hours I actually burnt more than what I logged in.

LCDMomma

I'm just starting out my weigh loss journey, so for now I'm counting it as a workout but as time goes by and I build up my stamina I won't count it.

Before, I would come home from work and just sit on the couch and eat. NOW I get home from work I clean, cook and do laundry. Even when my house doesn’t need it, I still deep clean my house. It keeps me moving and also keeps me from eating. It is a high impact workout? No. Is it more than I use to do? Yes. At the end of the night my feet are hurting and I'm tired. I have 4 yr old triplets so I can’t always go to the gym to workout, so I’m trying to do everything I can to help with my weigh loss journey.

Garrett1234

If heavy duty cleaning helps you break a sweat, sure, count it as exercise. I count mowing the lawn. I don't count doing the dishes. But in your diet and exercise regimen remember to be truthful with yourself - you're only going to get out of this what you put into it. I've seen "cleaning' on MFP put up some pretty big calorie burn numbers, but I'd be cautious about thinking an hour of cleaning is the same as an hour of jogging or tennis.

Chunkabutt83

If heavy duty cleaning helps you break a sweat, sure, count it as exercise. I count mowing the lawn. I don't count doing the dishes. But in your diet and exercise regimen remember to be truthful with yourself - you're only going to get out of this what you put into it. I've seen "cleaning' on MFP put up some pretty big calorie burn numbers, but I'd be cautious about thinking an hour of cleaning is the same as an hour of jogging or tennis.

but it depends on their weight also, someone 150 lbs will burn considerably less calories doing 30 minutes of cleaning than someone twice their size

mendogirl

i dont log every day average cleaning (like making the bed, picking up clothes, doing the dishes.. etc). but when i do things like scrub floors, scrub sinks/toilets/showers, and do labor intensive cleaning.. then i will log that

bmw4deb

I do not log it everyday, however if I scrub down a room carpet,walls
ect, I do wear my HRM and count it, when i deep clean I really burn
a lot of calories I actually have done this when it was really bad weather
rip a room apart scrub and put back together for the exercise (helps the house to)

BUT 20 minutes every day :noway: NOT

doobabe

Well...... if you clean like I do you can burn a ton of calories. And YES my HRM tells me so. That being said- were not talking light dusting and such..... Im talking hands and knees scrubbing floors, up and down stairs with laundry baskets and so on..... for HOURS at a time. If your sweating your burning calories.

Do I think it is a legitimate "exercise"? No. Do some log it that way and use the MFP standard for calories burned (which is WAAYY high) Absolutely they do. Do they skip other exercise and think this is an acceptable replacement- sure. Do I agree with that -no........

HOWEVER- if you spend 5-6 hours scrubbing your 2600sq ft home and dont log those hundreds of calories burned there is a chance your going to under-eat that day. Just saying.........

_Corinne_

I only log it when I do my weekly "overhaul". I try to beat my time each week so I'm guaranteed to work up a sweat and keep my butt moving. I don't count the daily "little stuff" like making beds, tidying up, etc.

MrsBlackman

I totally disagree!! I have myself set to sedentary since I work a desk job, so I feel that if I spend four hours cleaning my entire house on a Saturday OR if I just vacuum and tidy up generally for a half hour on a weekday that I can certainly count it. It's not my only exercise by ANY means, and I don't necessarily eat the calories back...but why not count it if you are not sitting on your butt??

What she said! ;o)

veganbaum

Umm, if I'm pulling everything out of my sunroom/storage and cleaning it and going through junk, then I am going to log it. I am also going to log actually scrubbing floors and stuff (not light stuff like mopping, dishes, etc). However, I log it as "light" housework, not strenuous. It's only in my everyday routine to do light housework.

ninerbuff

But be realistic. Who burns 800 calories in an hour of work?

<raises hand>But then again I am an instructor! Kickboxing instruction (my work) based on my weight and intensity is roughly 800 calories.

Pfauxmeh

**Housework.

superhippiechik

I so agree! I used to be friends with a girl who would log about 4 hours of cleaning every day and then whine about not losing weight!

superhippiechik

Woah, so many pissed off people. Look, however you want to justify it, it's not what I would consider at least 30 minutes of strenuous exercise. If it were, I would probably have dropped the weight by now and have the arm strength of a body builder because I'm a cleaning fool. I don't feel like I got a fantastic work out cleaning...it's just extra to the work load I do in my daily life.

Opinion, fine, I'll wave the white flag and bow to the classification. But be realistic. Who burns 800 calories in an hour of work?

As for yardwork...I didn't say anything about yardwork. Read, people!

Just sayin'.

I think I love you! lol

amberlineilene

Don't worry about what other people track as exercise, what good does that do you?

EXACTLY! Get over it, do your own thing. Be happy.