Cleaning? Exercise?

amandaruiz2011

Do you guys count cleaning as exercise?

dragonsheart84

I do because you are moving your body. The calorie limit is for when you stay in bed all day long and do nothing. This is why I count it.

MamaChunk

If I break a sweat, yes! If I am sittimg down wiping a table, no. I think it counts as long as you are really moving around a lot. I also play music and dance around when i am cleaning..you know..multi tasking. Whatever it takes, right?:laugh:

MamaChunk

I do because you are moving your body. The calorie limit is for when you stay in bed all day long and do nothing. This is why I count it.

Agreed

sherrillg

I only count heavy duty/extended length of cleaning because in my mind my everyday cleaning is included in my activity level. JMO

jody664

I did count it this past Sunday because I spent about a half-hour on it basically scrubbing the floors and was completely sweaty by the time I got done. If it's just some light dusting, straightening up the house, cleaning up the kitchen, no I usually don't.

Contrarian

I don't, but my activity level is set to "active".

bethvandenberg

nope I don't b/c I've always cleaned and never counted it so it went into my activity level.

jessicajoy87

NO!!!!! When you make your profile it asks about your lifestyle! If you clean everyday it should already be added toward your calories. Sorry but this is a pet peeve of mine! I feel like people are just trying to get extra calories or something. * This is my opinion.*

simplymily

I only count it 1/week because I only do heavy duty serious cleaning once a week where I would break a sweat but otherwise i don't.

sandiburn

I agree with Mama. I count it when I am really working hard.

TTHdred

I highly recommend reading this post. It clearly outlines, when how and why "cleaning" and other such activities are logged as exercise.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/291071-activity-level-and-logging-exercise

lorac321

NO!!!!! When you make your profile it asks about your lifestyle! If you clean everyday it should already be added toward your calories. Sorry but this is a pet peeve of mine! I feel like people are just trying to get extra calories or something. * This is my opinion.*

This is my opinion too.

ruby_red_rose

I don't because my activity level is set to slightly active.

annabellio

I add it if I feel like I'm exhausted after doing the cleaning - usually if its more than an hour.

dfborders

My lifestyle is sedentary because I work in an office at a sit down desk 5 days a week with a total 2.5-3 hour commute. So on weekends I do count my cleaning as exercise if I do it continuously for longer than 30 minutes (I also usually have the music blaring and am dancing and beebopping around) - but I never count it as vigorous - always light. It is more movement than I would do regularly. During the week if I just do the dishes and throw a load of laundry in - I don't count it.

leavingfat

Only if I sweat for a sustained period of time. I like to rearrange and that usually gets me sweaty and sore; if I'm just reloading the dishwasher and wiping the counters, not so much.

xtinalovexo

yep, it's HARD work! ... don't forget typing, changing the channel on the remote, and going #2.

nursenikki829

I log those activities if I clean like crazy and break a sweat (moving furniture to clean under it, and scrubbing the whole house), I also log food prep if I am cooking for a party of people... IE this past weekend was my son's birthday party and I logged my cleaning and food prep because it was TOUGH! I know that kneading and rolling out fondant was a good calorie burn!

ladylu11

if you do count it, just don't give yourself as much as MFP does. For example, if you clean 60 minutes and it says you burned 200 calories, I would only count half.

My reasoning is because I wore my HRM to compare and there was a big difference.

missjelika

only time I count anything as exercise is if My heart rate is above 120/130 and i am making an exerted effort outside of the norm.

becoming_a_new_me

NO!!!!! When you make your profile it asks about your lifestyle! If you clean everyday it should already be added toward your calories. Sorry but this is a pet peeve of mine! I feel like people are just trying to get extra calories or something. * This is my opinion.*

BTW - not everyone cleans everyday. I am home maybe 3-4 hours in the evening before I go to bed. By the time I get home, do a workout and my homework, it is bedtime. My profile is set to inactive, so when I do scrub my house from top to bottom on the weekend, you can sure as heck bet I am burning calories. I don't eat back those calories, but I count them so I know my activity. Don't presume to judge.

ajbeans

if you do count it, just don't give yourself as much as MFP does. For example, if you clean 60 minutes and it says you burned 200 calories, I would only count half.

My reasoning is because I wore my HRM to compare and there was a big difference.

There was a big difference for you. It will be accurate for some people, and for others the MFP count will actually be lower than the real count. Everyone is different, which is why HRMs are recommended so much around here. There's no way to tell how accurate MFP's numbers are for each individual.

TriforceRaven

I don't (unless I'm dancing around A LOT while I clean haha!). But I DO count my walks, since I'm on crutches. Because you burn TONS on crutches, compared to normal walking. But I NEVER eat exercise calories. Honestly, I rarely break 1000 haha!

MaximalLife

Do you guys count cleaning as exercise?

Usually, no.
Exercise is exercise, and house cleaning to some is nothing but an excuse not to do real cardio.
Just evaluate your own motives, because it's different for each person.

I consider it a part of my daily activity except when I mop, wearing an 80 pound vest.

You better believe I am logging that in!

Dave198lbs

yep, it's HARD work! ... don't forget typing, changing the channel on the remote, and going #2.

and getting all pissy because some dont agree with you is worth at least an extra twinkie.

cleaning is not exercise. get over it. accept it.

Elzecat

yep, it's HARD work! ... don't forget typing, changing the channel on the remote, and going #2.

No need to be nasty just because you choose not to log that kind of activity. I don't log cleaning either, but for someone who is morbidly obese with a significant amount of weight to lose, "easy" activities such as cleaning and walking may be difficult and they can start with that until they are able to participate in more "typical" exercise.

HonkyTonks

I do because you are moving your body. The calorie limit is for when you stay in bed all day long and do nothing. This is why I count it.

Agreed

I sort of disagree. Sedentary doesn't exactly mean you sit in bed all day and do nothing. Sedentary is an office job, where you may get up to the photocopier, walk to and from the office (short walks), and generally move about but nothing strenuous. When you figure our your total daily energy requirements, this kind of activity would probably already be factored in.

It's entirely up to you of course, but you might find adding this stuff and eating those extra calories may hinder your weight loss efforts.

MaximalLife

NO!!!!! When you make your profile it asks about your lifestyle! If you clean everyday it should already be added toward your calories. Sorry but this is a pet peeve of mine! I feel like people are just trying to get extra calories or something. * This is my opinion.*

or a handy excuse not to perform any actual cardio exercise.

JamesonsMommy

I say no.. who am i to judge. I see people on here who count time playing with their children as exercise.. I've also seen people count 500-600 minutes of exercise a day.. Get real people!!!!!!! Don't even get me started on food prep.. lol

dollipop

Nope, it's incidental to me. I only count actual exercise.