Pet Peeve - logging non 'exercise' exercise

airind

I know this may come off rude, and I don't mean it like that, but it drives me crazy when people log things like "cleaning, light effort", or "food preparation" and count that as their daily exercise.

I do realize this stuff burns calories, but it is not the same kind of heart rate exceleration and body challenge that real exercise will give you. To me it feels like grasping at straws just to earn extra calories. Then you see comments underneath congratulating that person for making dinner. I mean don't get me wrong, if I clean my whole house and break a sweat, I'll for sure log that... but if I just mop the floor for 15 min, that doesn't count for me.

LovingMe19

I completely agree! One person asked if she should log playing on the beach with her kids as exercise, and how she would log it. I was like are you kidding me? I don't log things I do on a daily basis as exercise, such as cleaning and playing with my children. I only log the things I do to intentionally burn calories!

tammilk

I usually only log strenuous cleaning....like mowing my lawn with a push mower for over an hour in my hilly yard. I wear my HRM and burn well over 300 calories doing it. I log that because i know its going to make me a little more hungry that day.
Just sweeping the kitchen floor quick....no. That doesnt cause me to break a sweat or get my heart pumping.

morganadk2_deleted

As with everything it's personal choice!

luvbwfc

I only log it if it involved getting changed and going to the gym, or going for a run, anything else I figure fits in the Sedentary profile. After all even couch potatoes have to make dinner.

rml_16

Unless it's causing you to not lose weight (or gain it), why in the world would it drive you crazy?

I don't log those things, but it's none of my business if someone else does.

kateistoned

Heyas!

I figure if it works for them and they are losing weight then I don't need to worry about what they are logging and/or why. Maybe for some people getting out the mop and mopping for 15 minutes breaks a sweat. I know when I clean the kitchen, I dance to keep my heart rate up and turn it into a work out. I think that as long as people are striving to make a change, others don't need to judge what they put in their diaries. But that's just my two cents!

Brandirina

For some people, it is a good exercise. It depends on how much you weigh - because when you're 250+ pounds, doing any activity takes a lot out of you and increases your heart rate. And, if you're like me, you add little movements when you're cleaning to get more out of it.

ajbeans

Pet peeves are just an excuse to be ticked off about things that you have no good reason to be ticked off about. Let it go. It has nothing to do with you.

Enchantica

yeah I have to agree with you on this one. I clean for a living - maybe I should log all that work?
Netty

anberlingasm

I know what you mean, but I use 'cleaning, light' to log particularly busy days at work. When I'm shifting and unpacking 50 boxes, it's more 'exercise' than I'd usually be having on a regular day at work and the easiest way to input that bit extra is to log it as 'cleaning'.

sexforjaffacakes

It annoys me too, these things are surely covered by your activity level, even sedentary adds an extra 500 cals to your BMR, so that must cover these kinds of things! I know if you're really heavy just mopping for 15 mins can be hard, but if you count these daily necessities as exercise then it gives you less of a reason to do "real" exercise

rainydayboys

I log it because I typically clean only once or twice a week. Or if I'm dragging that rolling dishwasher out a few times per day. It's me moving around, in ways I don't normally do. It's not cardio, it's not EXERCISE, but it's still burning calories that wouldn't have been burned if I sat in front of my computer all day.

Plus, if cleaning for half an hour gets my calories outta the red, then yes, please!

FattySins

I agree with you about the logging, though it would not bother me if I see someone else doing it! Every day 'living' has not helped me lose weight, it will be the extras that will count towards it.

If you have not done real effort towards weight loss, putting daily tasks in might make a good excuse but deep down you know that this is not what you are aiming for.

ceschwartz

It's different for each person. I don't log it when I mop the floor, but I'm not carrying around 100 extra pounds as I do it. Whatever, people need to do to encourage activity. Why judge them? Why let it get to you? Not worth it.

chuckyp

For me, anything beyond an actual workout is just a bonus. I do plenty of hard sweaty labor (digging, etc...) around the house and I don't log it as exercise. The way I see it, if people do all these little things on a daily basis and want credit for it, they should just bump up their daily activity level.

charityateet

Who cares? I mean, do what you do and don't worry about what anyone else is doing - how the hell does it directly or indirectly affect you???

calimari

I was surprised to see things like food prep listed as exercise. The only one I do use on occasion is light gardening - because I hate gardening, I don't do it on a daily basis, so when I plant myself out there & I'm digging out weeds on an 85 degree day, raking out the flower beds, walking all over the yard & bending up and down picking up dead sticks or those stupid black walnuts from all over the lawn, I do count that. But - I also underestimate it (I did 40 minutes yesterday, but just counted 30).

fat2fab4life

I don't see an issue with it. There are some who are very heavy or who cannot physically go work out or get exercise in like others can so food preperation and cleaning or any other "light" activity to you all is very beneficial for them. It's sad that someone out there who can only do those things or that may have a handicapt and not be able to do other things will read this post and may become discouraged like myself, b/c of the lack of support for the activity they are trying to do. if it's that bad of a pet peeve you know you don't have to look at it or be friends with anyone who logs that kind of activity. Enjoy your day

AHealthierRhonda

I log cleaning, heavy vigorous effort when I am scrubbing on my hands and knees, moving furniture, scrubbing walls and ceilings or cabinets, or anything that is beyond regular weekly cleaning. I do not log vacuuming, dusting, anything I do on a regular daily/weekly basis as exercise. I agree with the food prep part unless they are usually sedentay and going to the grocery store can be counted as exercise exepcially if you ahve to amke several trips and and down stairs to get the groceries in the house and put away.
If the perople logging this keep losing, then it works for them. If you don't want to add it then don't! People are free to choose what they want to log and how they log it. You ahve to keep in mind what their average lifestyle might be (sedentary) so anything beyond going to the bathroom is exercise!!

ajbeans

yeah I have to agree with you on this one. I clean for a living - maybe I should log all that work?
Netty

Actually, you should have that included in your daily activity level if you clean all day every day. You should be at least lightly active, if not higher.

Dtho5159

I only add cleaning if its top to bottom, moving all the furniture, doing things I don't normally do while cleaning. About 4 times a year I do this.

Kirsty_UK

Why does it matter what someone else wants to log or not log as exercise? Everyone has their own reasons. Some people chose to log less than they actually do, so maybe the did more than "light" cleaning, but dont want to over estimate because they dont have a hrm, or maybe they use that to prompt themselves to do more housework. Maybe they have their activity set to sedentary, so that everything over that is extra. Maybe they don't even eat that back anyway, but still like to log it. Maybe they are recovering from an injury, or sickness, or have a debilitating condition so that all they can do is light, and everything is an achievement. Let people use this tool as a tool, how best works for them. You use it how you want too.

chelsifina

Unless it's causing you to not lose weight (or gain it), why in the world would it drive you crazy?

I don't log those things, but it's none of my business if someone else does.

I second this. Why is it worth the energy to get peeved? I've got so much stuff going on in my life, and my family's, why on earth bother with what may or may not work for people I don't even know?

bry_all01

I have logged cleaning before, but that is on heavy duty house cleaning days, not running the vacuum every other day. But, it doesn't bother me what other people do, because it's their business and their body. If they see results that way, they see results. It's not affecting me or my body in any way.

fat2fab4life

Who cares? I mean, do what you do and don't worry about what anyone else is doing - how the hell does it directly or indirectly affect you???

well stated in my opinion! we are here to support each other and if someone can only get calories burned by cleaning or cooking we should support them not put them down. some of these posts are just pointless

krstnmuir

I've logged cleaning before, but it's when I've cleaned another persons house when she was going through a crisis.... when I do something out of my ordinary daily routine... I think it counts.. I was exausted, I absolutely burned extra calories. If I ever get around to cleaning my garage, or my attic... I am so logging that too.

HopefulLeigh

Don't you think that it really has to do with what you put your activity level at? Mine's sedentary. I don't always have the ability to get up and cook or clean. I log it if I do, just like I log the 3 hours I spend actively walking at the zoo.

Perhaps you simply shouldn't be friends with people you don't actually support?

whouwannab

Well I dont clean on a regular basis, so that is how I justify logging it! ha ha

hnlapaille

For some people, getting up and making dinner or cleaning their house is exercise. As an RN, I once attended an extreme weight-loss class for morbidly obese people (the people that if wanting life-changing surgery needed to lose 50+ lbs in 3months) for work and learned that just walking in 5 minute bursts up their stairs was more exercise than they've probably done in a long time. The class made let you know calories in, calories out. At my house, there are 3 levels so doing laundry for everyone and putting it away can give me a few miles on my pedometer with all of the stairs I'm walking. Not everyone has the same fitness level and if cleaning house, standing to make dinner or walking to the mail box if their exercise for the day, then congrats to them for making some type of movement besides picking up a fork or remotes.

curiousmissclay

i have to agree with the original poster i find it frustrating when people put really silly things like washing the pots down as excercise for me whatever i do in the day is a bonus i dont need to log it but when i go to the gym or for a run it gets logged because for me thats an exercise instead of a daily activity.