Logging Housework as Exercise??

doobabe

Since I have my settings at Sedentary to start with, if I plan on cleaning like a mad woman (this happens once a week for me usually) I will log it. Simply because I do eat my exercise calories back, and I can burn over 600 calories for a couple of hours of hard cleaning- and YES I wear my HRM. Im talking hands and knees scrubbing, carpet steaming, up and down stairs laundry type cleaning. This being said, I do not log the every day vacuuming and such.

You will have people tell you that you dont burn any extra calories cleaning and I say I would hate to see their house........ :laugh:

MummyOfSeven

You're damn right I log cleaning and vacuuming. Not the daily run of the mill dusting and picking up, I do that several times a day.
If I vacuum the house from top to bottom; three bedrooms, bathroom, landing, stairs, hall, living room and kitchen (mopping) - yes, I WILL log it. It involves a lot of picking up, putting away, moving furniture, as well as the actual vacuuming.
I'm pouring with sweat by the time I've finished. Why SHOULDN'T I log it?

eeebee

I absolutely log housework as exercise, but only when I do something truly active (Vacuuming and kitchen floors etc...) with two toddlers under 3 and a dog and cat, this is nearly every other day, haha. I also work out/run almost daily but cleaning my house definitely burns calories and I feel comfortable logging it! I believe I use- 'Cleaning- Light, Moderate Effort- Good luck!

I am the same, when I get on all fours to scrub the kitchen floor, hoover the stairs and rest of house, lift loads of washing up and down the 2 flights of stairs in big bundles, squatting, bending, lifting etc....how is this not a form of exercise? I definitely log it. If I hadn't bothered to exercise on that day but know I have burned a couple hundred calories just from doing that, it makes me feel less guilty. It is not a cop out. I log all activity and why not? It's simply just a lighter form of exrcise.

davidcookfan

I log my housework if i clean the whole house. moppng the floors dusting etc. I also work in a sports bar in a casino here in Ont. ON concert nights i am running around that resturant with no stop for at least 3hrs. I am a busser (the only one ina resturant taht can hold 200). I log those calories for sure. since i am running around for 7 hrs cleaning i only log 3 hrs of it. Non concert nihgt i log one hr. I also put it under light housework i hope that helps

hello_kitty3

I have mine set to sedentary and am a housewife. I clean pretty much everyday but on days where I'm spending hours of serious cleaning or moving moving stuff up and down the stairs I count it. I count it because its important to eat back exercise calories so if I'm burning several hundred extra calories cleaning then its significant enough to log. People that say cleaning is not exercise obviously don't really clean themselves. My husband doesn't think cleaning is hard work but then again he doesn't even know how to turn on the dishwasher. Also I saw someone complain about counting shopping. I do that too because what do you do when you shop? WALK. So if I'm out on a shopping trip for 6 hours I will log about 4 hours of leisurely walking. If you don't agree then that is your business but you shouldn't put others down who do it. I would understand if I had my activity set to active and then counted them but I don't so I'm not trying to "cheat". We're supposed to be a support system not a judgmental group.

kir911

*sigh* who cares what OTHERS are doing....

i was meerly asking a question as i wondered if i should log as had seen others logging it when it came up on my feed.... it doesnt bother me what other people do or why.

i WANT to lose weight but i know that if im not eating enough i wont...so if i think ive eaten the 1200 cals that im meant to have for that day but have actually burnt of 2100 my body could go in starvation mode couldnt it.... just going by what ive read on here!

I thought this forum was about helping each other!

This forum is about helping people. Some people however have to start an argument on every forum. Sorry!

I would tell you that if it is something out of your norm log it. I spent an entire day one day rearranging furniture, building furniture and cleaning, I logged that. But I don't log my daily cleaning.

csmith4567

It is in the databasse for a reason. I am generally sedentary, but yesterday I packed up all the Christmas stuff, that involved a lot of reaching and squatting. Lifted and carried heavy boxes up and down stairs, and did an extra extra thorough, very unusual, vaccuum, mopping of the living room to get rid of the pine needles. I burned calories that needed to be logged. I use the cleaning light, moderate as a sort of compromise between planned exercise, but I definately got a work out and I hurt today.

In the old days people didn't use the gym, they did daily chores.

You have to be a personal judge. If you are listed as sedentary, and break a sweat ... list the calories. Your body needs them.

Just_Bethy

Boy someone needs to learn being a ***** doesn't burn calories huh? I agree with everyone else...I set my lifestyle to light active and only log anything out of the norm ... like cleaning the boys play room..UGH..should have list THAT under archaeological dig!! Best of Luck on the weight loss!! Don't be put off using the boards...99% of people as wonderful and supportive...I couldn't have got this far without them!! xxx

BetterWithAge

I do not log everyday housework (dshes, vacuuming, laundry, dusting, etc), but if I am doing something that is out of the ordinary, I sure do. For example, our house has a lot of windows and to get to the upper ones, I need to drag out the ladder (both inside and outside) and it will take several hours of work ad constant movement, so I am going to log it. Other things I might log, organizing closets, garage, basement... Again, out of the ordinary and includes lifting, stretching, bending, etc. I always log it as 'light' or 'general' housework, even if I am sore the following day.

Rubyinthesand2012

Thanks everyone have changed my settings

Am going to feel guilty sitting on my *kitten* in front of the PC now so going to have to go clean up

FearAnLoathing

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/291071-activity-level-and-logging-exercise?error_user_id=3943136&error_username=FearAnLoathing&hl=activity+level+and+logging

Tkhk0514

I agree with most other posters. I personally would not log it, unless you did some down and dirty housecleaning. If I am not sweating I dont feel like I had a good workout. and personally I dont sweat when I am doing housework.

I had one friend that would nearly everyday log 3 hours of housecleaning...c/mon how dirty is your house? After maybe 6 hours in a week my house would be spotless. And she would complain about not losing weight and how she cheated and fell off the wagon and needed to leave for awhile..clearly she did not have her heart in it. But if logging her housecleaning made her feel better well then I guess that is her perocative. To each their own.

eeebee

unless i am dripping in sweat i would not log housework i see it more as a daily activity

I often work up a sweat when I do housework, and without the central heating on - I must be doing my job(s) well then :laugh:

SkyPixie

Depends what I am doing .. if I am scrubbing floors, washing the car (by hand), washing the plane , cleaning windows and I am actually working up a sweat and getting a bit out of puff then I will log it.

If I am washing up , ironing , cooking .. or walking around the shops doing the weekly shop that isn't exercise thats just life :laugh:

armaretta

I log my vigorous housework. Polishing 1600 sqft. of wood floor on your hands and knees isn't exactly feather dusting. Oh no! What will other people think of me?! Will they think I'm a fatty and being lazy?! The SHAME!

Keep in mind that there are few truly sedentary people. Sedentary means on your butt, little effort, ALL day. If you run after kids and do chores everyday, I'd set your activity to lightly active or active.

People need to stop being so judgmental of what others log as exercise. If you are over 300lbs, just walking around or mopping IS exercise. Maybe they feel discouraged a little more every day when they find someone making fun of their "exercise."

eeebee

In the old days people didn't use the gym, they did daily chores.

You have to be a personal judge. If you are listed as sedentary, and break a sweat ... list the calories. Your body needs them.

absolutely agree, well said!

Jo2926

I thought this forum was about helping each other!

Whenever you post a question on here be prepared for a mixed bag of responses - and ignore the ones that are not particularly helpful. There are lots of lovely people on here willing to share what they have done, and what has worked for them - almost always they show up too and respond. Those are the ones to listen to.

You've got some good answers here - I'm with those who suggest changing your settings to lightly active. I personally don't track anything other than workouts, and I see the rest as a bonus, but equally I know I have done the work and if I do go slightly over my calories that day I don't let it worry me.

Good Luck!

doobabe

Im pretty new to this (first week) and i have noticed that some people log housework as Exercise....

Im a stay-at-home-mum and spend a majority of my day doing some sort of housework i put my settings as doing the lowest level of activity some days im flat out doing housework and running round after the children & my partner other days i sit on the computer or watching tv..... so should i be logging the hoovering...bathroom and kitchen floor scrubbing as "exercise" or not.

I dont personally see it as exercise although i know it burns calories.... am a little confused

It's not exercise.

People log this in as a handy excuse not to have to do real cardio.

It's more an activity than a workout. Don't do it!

Uhm Negatory Ghostrider.................... I log it occasionally(not the daily version, but the serious cleaning type) AND I just ran 4 miles AFTER I did 40 minutes of strength....... I dont need an excuse because Im no stranger to cardio. But what I do need is to eat enough based on the calories I ACTUALLY burn on that day...........................

tkb1985

here is what I do. I log my cardio (running/circuit training) and then on days when I find I have spent hours doing a major cleaing - moving furniture, washing floors, etc I log that too. I try to under count my hours though so for example, if i do a major 6 hour cleaning I will most likely log 4 hours worth. For me this tends to be my Sat "house cleaning day".

This exactly.

I under-count too, as I think MFP can sometimes overestimate calories burned. I don't ever log my day-to-day cleaning / housework, as that is just part of daily life, but above and beyond (like the above poster said) is perfectly reasonable.

Just don't use it as an excuse not to do other exercise - it's a bonus, not a workout.

As other posters have said, you need to change to lightly active if you're a SAHM, as there's no way you'll be Sedentary!

I hope that helps. Good luck, and add me if you like... always happy to make new friends :flowerforyou:

Heidi1987

Im pretty new to this (first week) and i have noticed that some people log housework as Exercise....

Im a stay-at-home-mum and spend a majority of my day doing some sort of housework i put my settings as doing the lowest level of activity some days im flat out doing housework and running round after the children & my partner other days i sit on the computer or watching tv..... so should i be logging the hoovering...bathroom and kitchen floor scrubbing as "exercise" or not.

I dont personally see it as exercise although i know it burns calories.... am a little confused

It's not exercise.

People log this in as a handy excuse not to have to do real cardio.

It's more an activity than a workout. Don't do it!

keep your nose out of other people's business. WTF cares cause it won't show up on YOUR scale...so butt out.

A bit harsh.....