Logging Housework as Exercise??

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  • joannehoyles
    joannehoyles Posts: 1 Member
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    Hi all! This is my first post so please go easy on me :-)

    I have two children (age 4 and 2) and I recently gave up work to become a SAHM. I am finding that instead of having a quick clean around every evening now I am pretty much on my feet from the minute the kids get up until I go to bed. I spend about 6 - 8 hours a day doing some kind of housework and I would say for about 1-2 hours a day I am working hard and definately feel my heart rate rising.

    I've debated with myself over whether to log housework or not but I feel out of the 6-8 hours a day I'm on my feet it must be worth something! I've started logging 60 mins of light housework per day now. If I take it easier one day I don't log anything.

    I've also wondered whether I should just change my activity level from Lightly Active to Active and just not log any of it?
  • cathynicolette
    cathynicolette Posts: 78 Member
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    I think someone told me once that if you have your lifestyle as sedentary then you record everything, including cleaning. but If you have it at moderate, then don't record cleaning.
  • lousoulbody
    lousoulbody Posts: 663 Member
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    I clean houses for a living, i work 4 hrs a day cleaning with no break, vacuuming, moving furniture, mopping, dusting ,scrubbing, toilets, tubs, walk in showers, kitchens, up & down, most house's are like vacuuming and mopping a basketball court, these are by no means small., they are houses of the rich and famous, lol. I can tell you when i get home i am pooped out, and i take a nap, with a heat pad on my back,so if you think cleaning your home light to moderate, for a continuous amount of time is a work out, i have to say yes, LOG IT! Ladies, you underestimate just how hard cleaning your house is. If it were easy and people loved it, i would be out of a job.

    BTW Cogratulations on your weight loss, keep up the good (house) work!
  • Jojo1859
    Jojo1859 Posts: 58 Member
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    Change your settings from sedentary to lightly active, then only log activity outside your normal daily routine.

    I completely agree with this
  • fattypattybinger
    fattypattybinger Posts: 337
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    Wow I thought this site was for support. When I clean house I have music and I dance around while I clean close to a Zumba class so I just add it as cleaning because I am dancing and cleaning.
  • lynz4589
    lynz4589 Posts: 389 Member
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    unless its a house move or moving furniture or having a big spring / autumn clean then no I wouldnt clean it. Anything Ive listed at the start (spring cleaning etc) I wouldnt consider my normal daily routine and a few hours of moving furniture would cause I good sweat so yes I would log that but if its the usual hoovering, cleaning bathroom etc then no.
  • megster4359
    megster4359 Posts: 11 Member
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    I don't record any cleaning that I do.
  • jenneal89
    jenneal89 Posts: 243
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    I only log it if it's extra cleaning beyond what I'd normally do. So, I normally do about an hour a day but if company comes over and I spend like 4 hours cleaning I'll prob log 3 hours BUT I will still do my normal cardio/strength training
  • PayneAS
    PayneAS Posts: 669 Member
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    ThreadNecromancy.jpg
    Fri 01/06/12 07:05 AM

    Also...

    Oh. This again.

    Why do you care what other people log? If it works for them leave em alone!
  • beefoutz
    beefoutz Posts: 21 Member
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    Just read your post Ruby, I am new too. Have found most here to be kind and helpful. Don't be discourage by the few rude comments, just block those people. I would agree if it's something you don't normally do everyday, log it. After a month or so you can use the reports and probably know for yourself if it should count. Just my opinion. Good luck!
  • vmekash
    vmekash Posts: 422 Member
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    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
    CDG1013 Posts: 106 Member
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    Change your settings from sedentary to lightly active, then only log activity outside your normal daily routine.

    This.
  • Floridakidd407
    Floridakidd407 Posts: 19
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    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
    ashleydmassey Posts: 106 Member
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    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
    tndejong Posts: 463
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    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
    tndejong Posts: 463
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    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
    tekwriter Posts: 923 Member
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    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.

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