who logs house cleaning for exercise?

Football_N_Guns

Hell yeah I log it. Logged it yesterday as a matter of fact. running a vacuum and mop is hard on my back. I work on my core during that time.

TheCats_Meow

If I didn't lace up my workout-specific shoes for it, I don't log it.

Everything else just seems as if it would fall under "daily routine".

Unless, of course you don't clean your house on a routine basis :huh:

poustotah

I have 4 kids and a husband so every day is a major cleaning and takes a few hours (seriously) so I never log it.

beckyinma

I used to. But I don't anymore. I hate it that much that I listed my lifestyle as sedentary and logged it when I did it because I hardly did it... maybe it's because it made me so tired... Recently I changed it from sedentary to lightly active.. well, 50lbs later and I have more energy and cleaning the house doesn't suck quite as much as it used to. LOL! So I just include it as part of my lifestyle now. However, when I go to the dojo and clean it twice a month for two hours straight vacuuming every inch of the huge floor, plus counters, sinks and toilets, yes, I log that, and I dance and sing with my iPod at the same time, so it kind of is a workout.. LOL!

TigersFanIndy34

Also my bodymedia fit friends have mostly lost weight with just extra ACTIVITY not "exercise for the sake of exercise". Like one lost 75 lbs working around her small farm...she burns crazy calories but it's her daily activity. The difference is before maybe she'd take the short cut or delegate - now she does it all to get the burn in. Heck yea - count it!

Tujitsu56

lol, exercise and eating are both part of my regular routine. I still log those. My take is what others have said, if it's really intense and requires a lot of moving around, I'd log it. In fact, I have logged it. I've even missed a workout when I was spring cleaning. I started sweating too.

I don't log anything that is part of my regular routine. While I don't vigorous clean daily, it is part of weekly routine. Beside I figure the housework didn't stop me from gaining weight so it probably isn't going to help me lose it either.

Me too....well said!

Pocket_Pixi

Right now I am but that is because I am moving so I am washing walls (up and down a ladder), scrubbing floors, moving heavy items etc. But as a normal rule, I don't.

fteale

i'm logging it because i clean in an old peoples home for 5.5 hours a day at weekends

See? A perfectly valid reason to log it. I really hope no one rolls their eyes at your profile as a result. 5.5 hours clearing up after old people is more exercise than 45 mins on an elliptical by a long shot.

REBEE17

I only log exercise that I do solely for the sake of exercise. The exception would be hiking or something. That is clearly physical, but done for enjoyment rather than simply for exercise.

This is how I view it as well. If I happen to burn calories, then so be it...but I'm not logging it.

LaSutopia

For the sake of playing devil's advocate, how do you know when someone logs cleaning that is what they are actually doing? Just because cleaning to you means wafting around with a feather duster doesn't mean that is what someone else has done. As I said earlier, I logged 2 HOURS of cleaning after spending 5 HOURS heavy lifting and bailing out my kitchen. I probably burned 1000 cals, I logged about 200. Funnily enough MFP doesn't have a "your house has flooded so get everything off the floor asap and then spend hours bailing water out" as a setting, so I logged it as housework. I would delete any friend off my list who would roll their eyes at that.

Like I log "dog walking" frequently, because it's a good walking speed, but I don't actually have (nor want) a dog, it's just a good way to log long walks. Just because someone logs something as something, that doesn't mean they have actually done that thing, just that they have burned a comparable no. of calories.

Another example. I sing. Tomorrow I have a 3 hour rehearsal, followed by a break, then a 2.5 hour concert. Standing and singing burns a lot of calories, it is a very physical activity, but one that isn't listed on MFP, so I usually log it as playing guitar (which I don't). If I didn't log it, I would be seriously underestimating my calorie allowance for the day and probably pass out during the performance.

and this! I like this....I log the same. I do a major clean on friday's and I am moving, lifting, walking non stop for like 2-3 hours but I may only log like a half hour to 1 cause I have such a low cal setting to start with that I don't wanna under eat ever...so I try to log EVERYTHING, food and exercise as accurate as possible and I have only had one hiccup along the way when I found out I was in fact burning more than I thought and my weight loss stopped for like 3 weeks or so..I worked it out and got back on track and in about 4 months I have lost 37-38lbs...so It's working for me....but I get the skepticism, cause you know there are probably people out there that will log things like sitting folding some clothes for like 5 mins as cardio. (side note- I stand to fold clothes and have them on the floor so I have to bend and stretch to do them and I wait to do them till I have 3 or more loads so I can do it all at one time for a longer "session") In all reality if you are not getting your heart rate up from where it usually is you are not burning more cals that your regular daily burn...

EuphonyChloeH

I do, since I do not clean everyday it is an event when I do it once a week and it is about 3 hours long lol.

I do this as well. Usually I clean on Saturday mornings, and it takes a good 2 - 3 hours to clean the majority of the house. This weekend I'll be deep cleaning the kitchen, and you can most certainly bet that I'll be logging that in LOL.

Tujitsu56

Is this your job? You probably should've accounted for this in your activity setting when first creating a MFP profile. My job is sitting at a desk all day, so I don't get much credit for that.

i'm logging it because i clean in an old peoples home for 5.5 hours a day at weekends

dibdobw

I do! Once or twice a week I blitz the house and count this. I dont count the every day tidying tho x

mallorybodoh

LOG it! if you're not sitting on your butt, you're burning calories! give yourself some credit!

Supercatie80

If I break a sweat or breathe hard, and my heart races, I log it. The database is pretty comprehensive and accurate. It's not going to give you a ton of extra exercise calories if you are honest with yourself about the activity level.

writtenINthestars

If it's my weekly routine, nope...I don't log it. If I've randomly gone on a rampage and cleaned all the windows, vents, cleared out rooms and such...that I may log but even then, I doubt the calories on MFP are accurate....and I never think to use my HRM. I feel for these activities MFP is way too high on the calories burned.

br04416

I totally log this,,,,,esp when I wash all floors on my hands and knees, just to add the extra burn. So if I break a massive sweat and clean to fast music, I totally log it. Other wise I prob would not.

april_beth

i only count that when im doing the entire house...cause cleaning this *kitten* hole burns massive calories

Yakarobed

I don't count general daily cleaning. I will count yard work, washing/waxing the car, the stuff I don't do every day.

I also set my activity level to sedentary since I don't work (outside the home) but I don't really spend most of my day sitting either.

StevLL

I feel like if you sweat and it feels like you are doing more than usual go for it. When we first started we were serious couch potatoes. Now we upped our activity settimg and don't log it, but when I buck hay, or have to dig up the soil, or anything where I sweat and huff-n-puff I log it. Good luck and Git-R-Done!

WifeNMama

I'm set at light activity, so regular every day cleaning is included in that, but I log cleaning the bathroom or washing floors.

Thesis_gut

As most here seem to do, I also log cleaning when it's the weekly 'big' clean that includes hovering, mopping, etc. I always use the "cleaning, light, moderate effort" option though. Also have my diary set to sedentary, so think I can get away with logging certain non-sport activities as exercise.

epona_mus

I log it if I do something unusual - like cleaning carpets, moving furniture, etc. I don't normally do the cleaning so if I did participate in a massive spring cleaning or something, I would probably log it. I'm not logging unloading the dishwasher tho!! :laugh:

bry_all01

I only log exercise that I do solely for the sake of exercise. The exception would be hiking or something. That is clearly physical, but done for enjoyment rather than simply for exercise.

I also don't congratulate my MFPals on their exercise burns when cleaning. :huh:

Neither do I.
It's actually hard not to post something like "you gotta be kidding me"

My thing is I'm not looking for kudos on ANY excercise I post, regardless of the burn or activity. So, either way, if people want to "high 5" me or ask me what the eff? I could care less....

claireliston

I have apartments that I manage, so I log the cleaning for these as its usually has me working my hard and fast, but cleaning for my own house I don't log unless I'm doing a proper spring clean etc

Shanna_Inc86

I don't but have considered it when I've had to do major cleaning...I never logged when I moved and that included moving two beds, three dressers and MANY boxes BY MYSELF lol
Plus, I'm running up and down our stairs constantly! My room is down there but my daughter's is upstairs. Laundry is down there as well.

I think b/c I KNOW damn well I have a few friends on my list that would bust my chops if I did that I won't....hahahaha

annacataldo

my setting is at sedentary; which means my calorie allotment is based on the fact that i never left bed; like a day of pure rest. it doesnt take into account when i get out of bed at all. So i log any cleaning; 20minutes here, 10minutes there, etc. I dont try to log trips to the bathroom or any other daily activity, but i do log when i do extra things outside of standard staying alive, like cleaning. if my setting were say, lightly active, i would never log daily cleaning, i only do this because of the sedentary settings.

I also log cooking/food prep in my excercises when i make meals (like if im in the kitchen for an hour on my feet cooking and moving about the kitchen--i dont log if i spend 2minutes making a sandwich), because standing in general you burn alot of calories compared to laying down.

Alot of cooking, or alot of cleaning, I might log as half the time (something that took me 4hours, i might only log 2hours); i think eating back 1000calories just cuz u cleaned is a bit much and worried that it might not be accurate.

Jovialation

I do, since I do not clean everyday it is an event when I do it once a week and it is about 3 hours long lol.

yea this. for sure.

I super clean my house about once a week or so and its an ordeal.

DixiedoesMFP

Sedentary actually means that you are sitting most of the day, not that you never left bed. Even the effort of holding yourself erect with your hiney in a chair burns more calories than literally laying down in bed all day. I don't log my cleaning calories because I have always done all those things and I gained weight anyway. To me, it is all a part of my normal daily energy expenditure.

TrophyWifeSass

No way! Do people count sex and brushing their teeth also? What about walking to the mailbox, or parking far away from the store? Why? Doing things that must be done and you have always done and then counting them so you can eat more seems silly. If you're not starving yourselves this is all a moot point. Idk, that's just me and I'm harsh, so it's all good!