Logging Housework as Exercise??

vmekash

I agree that if it something that you do every day, then it should be considered in your original stats, and set up w/ moderate activity level. Then do NOT log it as exercise.

Any exercise you get outside your normal routine, especially On Purpose (like running or biking or weight lifting, whatever) is what you should be logging.

Good luck.

Oh, BTW, whatever you decide to count or not count as exercise, just be consistent. The choice is really yours.

CDG1013

Change your settings from sedentary to lightly active, then only log activity outside your normal daily routine.

This.

Floridakidd407

So I walk five days a week for about 7.5 of the 9 hours i work as part of my job would that count?

ashleydmassey

House cleaning is inevitable. If it were truly worthy of being called exercise, none of us would gain weight. Especially stay-at-home moms. I don't claim the calories on it but I have seen others doing so. However, and this is a huge/rare however, in the event that I have especially hardcore house work to do, and I mean that really rare stuff that rips your back apart and takes hours to complete, I claim that but I don't claim the true time it took me to complete it. I might put it in for an hour or two, if it really took me all day. If you aren't getting your heart rate up for an extended period of time while you are performing it, or if you aren't doing a lot of heavy lifting for the bulk of time that you are performing it, you really aren't going to gain any benefits from that activity that would contribute to weight loss per se. At least, that is my non-expert opinion.

tndejong

i think this is a personal preference thing. when my friends post i try to encourage them to do anything! so sometimes to get them to clean is better then nothing in my eyes. and when they log it, sometimes it motivates them to go for a walk or etc. i do house cleaning on the side for extra money. if im doing a big house that involves lots of on my hands and knees and washing walls and such. i will log it as exercise. but i modify it. i may take 5 hours to clean the entire house. but log only 2-3 hours of actual exercise. in my own house, im the same way. if im just walking around and picking up. i wont log it. if im in full force cleaning and scrubbing the floor or the tub. i may log it as 15 minutes or so of exercise. i also do go to the gym and do other activity on top of this. when i add up my gym time and then my cleaning and such and see the total of minutes of physical activity im doing, it motivates me to do more the next time.

tndejong

i have some members of mfp on my friends list that are a little older, or have desk jobs, or injuries. i want them to see me log the house cleaning. its all a mental thing. if they see me log it, then they may think they will go home and do some cleaning. and for some of those people, that is the only access to a way of getting a workout. some people work hard jobs and long hours. so even a few extra hours of cleaning the house is more activity then they would have done in the past. not everyone can afford or have the time to get gym memberships or pay for treadmills and other equipment. and for people like me, its winter time and not easy to get outside to walk. hope some can understand where im coming from a little.

tekwriter

I have limited mobility. I log my walk into the office from handicapped because it takes 15 minutes for me to get there. I will also log housework if it is something sutained and I break a sweat, standing doing folding and laundry sweeping etc. Some of us need to get what exercise we can, and we do it however we can. Different strokes for different folks.