Housework

jcpmoore

EssexShell to answer your question-
The real question you want to answer is, "Does it burn more calories than sitting on the couch?" The answer to that is another question. "Does it raise your heart rate?" If it does, then you're burning more calories than sitting on the couch. That's worth recording. If you want to get a true accurate reading, try getting your heart rate in the middle of the housework and look up if that's considered moderate or intense for you. Then you'll know if that's "heavy cleaning" or "moderate cleaning" for calorie purposes.

Not everyone's idea of housework is "vacuuming for 5 minutes or sweeping for 3." When I clean my house I typically keep going for at least 30 minutes at a time. I can vacuum my entire house in about ten minutes 'cause it's small. But when I get started on bathrooms, that takes serious elbow grease and about 20 minutes per bathroom. Clutter pick-up takes way longer and involves as much heart rate increase as the bathrooms. Laundry depends on whether I'm collecting, transferring or folding. You get the idea. You be the judge of how tough or intense it is. If it raises your heart rate then it's burning more calories than sitting on the couch.

Good luck! HTH

missikay1970

i agree that each person is different. my husband is not nearly as active as i am. he has a very sedentary job for 12 hours per day. if he were to vacuum, YES i would consider that activity/excercise for him. it's not for me, but that's b/c i am so active. i think each person has to decide for him/herself what is burning calories. i can sit in the sun in my lawn chair and sweat like crazy and not really burn any calories, but i can also lift weights for 20 min and NOT sweat at all, but KNOW that i'm burning calories.

the only warning i have is that you have to be careful not to overestimate how many calories you are burning. if you vacuum, mop the floor and take a 20 minute walk and figure you have burned 1000 calories, i would reconsider. (using as an example) just be reasonable and perhaps even UNDERestimate calorie burn so you can lose.

kiwi1003

This is what I think, that is if you want my opinion...lol

The normal chores like dishes, vacuuming, sweeping I don't count at all. Its part of everyday life and that's typically already factored in to a normal schedule. Its when you start washing walls, cleaning out cupboards, washing your rugs is when it should be counted. I personally wear an HRM because though I appreciate MFP calculating it for me, it usually runs kind of high and most times it says I burned twice the calories then I actually burned. I work out 6 days a week and do my "Sunday cleaning" Thats when I wear mine. Its the day I really get down to business cleaning my apartment ready for the rest of the week.

I hope this helps. Its super important to know your calories in/calories out so you can be successful.