Is housework exercise?

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Replies

  • FitLink
    FitLink Posts: 1,317 Member
    Any physical activity is technically "exercise", but you don't have to log every little thing. That's where the daily activity level estimate comes in, to set a base of how many calories you are assumed to burn in the day before you add in your logged workouts.

    True. As it happens, due to injury, illness and nerve pain, my daily activity varies wildly. It makes more sense to set for sedentary and add in. I make that easier by letting my FitBit do the actually ADL logging, but the idea that house cleaning isn't exercise or someone is a "sissy" if they record it, is absurd.

    2 things:

    1st: I do not agree with the term "sissy".
    2nd: I do believe housework is exercise. I personally don't record it.

    Nevermind.
  • FitLink
    FitLink Posts: 1,317 Member
    Waste of time.

    Count the stuff you're doing to purposely burn calories, not the things you do which also just happen to burn calories.

    A study performed at the University of New Mexico and published in "Science" disagrees with you. They determined that the calories burned through Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT) were actually MORE important in weight control than planned, formal exercise.

    http://www.sciencemag.org/content/307/5709/530.summary

    But seriously, why would the calories you burn in the course of life matter less than those you burned "purposely?"
  • celticmuse
    celticmuse Posts: 492 Member
    I do log housekeeping because I wear a HRM and I discovered that I burn 300+ calories cleaning my house, so I figure I am cheating myself if I don't log it. I also log it because it is WORK! I calculated my daily target calorie goals assuming I am sedentary. (ie multiply BMR x 1.2). Therefore I figure that doing housework is not a sedentary activity. I also log raking leaves and other heavy yard work, which typically burns 300-400 calories. I have lost 35 lbs doing this, so it is working for me. I agree that it an individual choice.
  • Pollywog39
    Pollywog39 Posts: 1,730 Member
    Big housework jobs? yup.

    And I count laundry, as I live in a second-floor apt, have to walk up and down a long flight of stairs, around the building, carrying my baskets and such................that's why I have a hundred pairs of undies, so I only have to do laundry once a month or so ;)

    j/k (but I DO have a lot of undies!!!) :bigsmile: :bigsmile: :bigsmile:
  • treetop57
    treetop57 Posts: 1,578 Member
    Neat article, FitLink. Thanks!
  • Rach_Gem_n_Disguise
    Rach_Gem_n_Disguise Posts: 140 Member
    Housework = Energy expendidure = Calories burned.

    Log it.

    Agree!! Especially for me....usually I clean my two story house top to bottom on weekends and it takes me over two hours...blood, sweat, and tears. So, to say that I shouldn't log that would be cra....zy!! :wink:
  • MissVickie220
    MissVickie220 Posts: 29
    its under cleaning
  • dariadoll
    dariadoll Posts: 18
    Love it!!! :) Although shame about the trolllllll, but I suppose you get them in any forum.

    Thanks for letting me know bout the cleaning option but I think I'll take a bit of advice from everyone and only log it if I've done a buttload of housework that day!
  • dariadoll
    dariadoll Posts: 18
    Big housework jobs? yup.

    And I count laundry, as I live in a second-floor apt, have to walk up and down a long flight of stairs, around the building, carrying my baskets and such................that's why I have a hundred pairs of undies, so I only have to do laundry once a month or so ;)

    j/k (but I DO have a lot of undies!!!) :bigsmile: :bigsmile: :bigsmile:

    This made me laugh :) brilliant!
  • FitLink
    FitLink Posts: 1,317 Member
    Neat article, FitLink. Thanks!

    Clever, clever...:laugh:
  • kelleybelly35
    kelleybelly35 Posts: 73 Member
    the only type of around the house work i log is when i push mow my 1.5 acres....it usually takes me about 2 hrs to complete and this includes lugging around a heavy weed eater as well :)

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