Exercise vs Daily Activity

claire_xox

so recently I've been noticing that some people log strange things as exercise, a lot of which I consider daily activity. This is through friends and on random discussion threads but things like being at work or 5 mins of cleaning (obviously 3 hours of scrubbing the floor is worth it)
Where do you draw the line? What do you do that you don't log and for those that eat back exercise calories do you only eat back certain types (flavors? Lol) of exercise cals?

rockerbabyy

i dont log any housework. i log walking my kid to school and sometimes ill log grocery shopping if its a big trip to multiple stores (usually including costco, ive been known to walk over a mile shopping there).

IamBrande

I log ONLY when I have reached my target Heart Rate for atleast 30minutes.... , and I am sweaty, and went OUT OF MY WAY to get in my work out...

going to work, basic cleaning of my house, driving my van.......isn't considered exercise... LOL

lotuslion

I log heavy-duty cleaning - mopping, cleaning the carpets, multiple loads of laundry (we live in a tri-level house, with our bedrooms on the 3rd floor and laundry in the basement, so you bet I count hauling laundry up and down the stairs!) and stuff like shoveling the driveway and sidewalks. Basically anything where I feel kinda beat afterwards. That's about it though - I don't log just every day picking up stuff, or making dinner, or doing dishes.


ETA: Other than when I spend an hour shoveling snow, I don't eat back the calories from cleaning, though. I log it as activity, but I don't really count it as a "workout."

♥_Ellybean_♥

it's really up the individual, I personally don't log anything but EXERCISE... meaning no house work etc.

However!

I recently learned that one of my MFP friends does not normally do this stuff (she pays people to do it) so when she actually does it, she logs it, because to her it is extra work..

Ervie317

My activity to setting is set to low activity like working a desk job since I don't work everyday and when I don't work I am less active I will sometimes log working since I stand for 6-8hrs continuously as extra calories. But I usually only do a portion of the time like one hour or two total.

Jedibeau

Daily activity should not count as exercise because MFP bases your daily calories on how active your lifestyle is. I climb ladders and walk all day at work but I don't add that in because it is already taken into account.

If you do something particularly strenuous and unusual then it should count! Probably not if it only lasts for a few minutes though.