Logging Cleaning as an Exercise

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  • DakotaKeogh
    DakotaKeogh Posts: 693 Member
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    I agree. It depends on what the cleaning is. I strap on my HRM when I tackle the bathrooms or do the floors.
  • LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo
    LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo Posts: 3,634 Member
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    Personally I don't log my other activities other than my actual workouts but I won't mind any of my friends who logs cleaning as their exercise. Instead I just set my settings as lightly active to cover it up as I do a lot of walking, climbing stairs everyday & also cleaning on weekends & am too busy to even count the minutes I spend doing those.

    I think that the majority of people here have set their settings as sedentary & therefore anything that makes them move is counted as exercise. As long as you're progressing with your goals then I don't see any problem with that.
  • angel79202
    angel79202 Posts: 1,012 Member
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    i don't log it either..but I don't flame those that do..some have the calorie base set so low that in order to not be starving they log it..I personally have my base a little higher, but to each your own :)
  • LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo
    LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo Posts: 3,634 Member
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    So you're telling me after an 8 hour laborious workday (my job is extremely physical) that 40 minutes of intense cleaning to the point I'm sweating like a pig is cheating myself and it's just a daily expenditure? I think that's a bunch of bull.

    It depends on your MFP settings. If you put your settings at very active (which I think covers your job well based on what you just said) then it is considered a daily expenditure since your physically demanding daily activities are already accounted in your TDEE. However if you set yourself to sedentary or lightly active then I don't think its cheating.
  • tinahelton
    tinahelton Posts: 65 Member
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    Wow... these posts are cracking me up! I own a cleaning business and know first hand how strenuous it can be! I sweat my tail off (literally :). I log time spent when cleaning other peoples homes but, I don't use the time spent cleaning my own. I don't do dishes & laundry so the "less strenuous" stuff is not an issue. I am constantly scrubbing, bending, stretching and down on my hands and knees getting to areas that most of my clients don't even realize needs to be cleaned. If you don't think that "cleaning" is exercise.... come work for me for a few hours and I'll get your heart rate going!!!

    Just by eating better and cleaning I lost around 20+ lbs. Now that I am working out as well...it's just extra!

    Soooo.. If it bothers you that others are logging "cleaning as exercise" try not to let it get to ya! It's not taking anything away from your exercise log & just causes you to stress over something that doesn't really concern you one way or the other.
  • noirnatural
    noirnatural Posts: 310 Member
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    Wow everyone is so passionate about this topic....I am one who logs cleaning and gardening as exercise...for me physical activity is physical activiy whether it be called exercise, workout, movement, ...whatever it all is physical activity, your moving your body sweating, burning calories ect ect ec...

    I have read many diet books and tried many diets and even worked for a large weigh loss company that shall remain nameless but I will say that ( they have done wonders for Christy and Queen L...wink: )one of the things that most have in common is that they encourage the person to move more..to count your steps, to park farther away from the front of the store, to take the steps instead of the elevator, to lift cans of vegetables....all of these things are the stepping stone for the heavier type of activity...think insanity...P90x...leslie sansome walking tapes...you get the idea...

    I just want to encourage everyone to keep moving and keep tracking, if your cleaning the house count it because maybe this time last month you couldnt clean the house because you didnt have the energy and now this month you have cleaned three times and just maybe two months from now when your logging your 30 minute insanity work out you will see just how far you come!!! but until then just KEEP IT MOVIN!
  • half_moon
    half_moon Posts: 807 Member
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    i'm going to start logging "bedroom cardio"


    HAHA I did this once and was totally caught. "Cardio -- low impact. 30 minutes."
  • Funsoaps
    Funsoaps Posts: 514 Member
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    LOL. I agree with original poster.

    When I clean, it's usually spring cleaning, on hands and knees scrubbing, sweating, just a big, sweaty mess.
  • LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo
    LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo Posts: 3,634 Member
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    i'm going to start logging "bedroom cardio"

    Hmmmm sounds interesting, I might do it as well :P
  • Angie0rtiz
    Angie0rtiz Posts: 45
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    Once a week I log "Cleaning/mild effort" I spend HOURS cleaning from top to bottom, left and right and laundry in btwn. I also dance while im doing it. all jokes aside my last load of clothes incld my cleaning clothes cause they are wet from sweat! Im a stay at home mom and Student, so I have the time to clean everyday which I do ( I dont log it), but once a week is that mad house cleaning where I clean every nook and cranny (Yes, I have a mild case of OCD).

    I say if you wanna log it log it, and if you dont then dont. At the end of the day how ever you get to your goal weight...You did it! Clean and all!
  • jillian769
    jillian769 Posts: 247 Member
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    I've seen people log lots of crazy things as exercise, personally I don't log anything that isn't like gym-related, walking, exercise classes, sports, etc, but I can see where heavy cleaning might be considered exercise. The ones that crack me up are : cooking, shopping, and showering!!!:noway:
  • dmzazueta
    dmzazueta Posts: 36
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    Valerie, I love your spunk. This post is awesome. I think logging cleaning as exercise, would get me to clean more. Thanks for the encouragement.
  • tmos512
    tmos512 Posts: 119 Member
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    I did a lot of cleaning on Friday--two bathrooms, all the floors, dusting, vacuuming, scrubbing floors, cleaning out the freezer and the kitchen cupboards, and shampooing the carpeted areas of the house. Took me about 3 1/2 hours total. I was shocked at the mileage I racked up on my Fitbit--over 3 miles.

    It CAN be very physical, I worked up a
    Literally, your own mileage may vary--some will log it, some won't. I don't necessary eat the calories when Fitbit gives me credit, but it's nice to know if I'm particularly hungry I could.
    How in the world did you do all of that in 3.5 hours???
  • F__7
    F__7 Posts: 371 Member
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    As a matter of fact ANY physical activity can be logged... the issue is to be fair in your calculation..
  • rhonniema
    rhonniema Posts: 522
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    I've seen people log lots of crazy things as exercise, personally I don't log anything that isn't like gym-related, walking, exercise classes, sports, etc, but I can see where heavy cleaning might be considered exercise. The ones that crack me up are : cooking, shopping, and showering!!!:noway:

    showering... really?!
    doing too much!
  • Spanaval
    Spanaval Posts: 1,200 Member
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    IMO, if it's an activity you do in the daily course of life, it isn't exercise. I take care of a large house, and clean up after 2 dogs, one toddler, and one slobby DH by myself. When I clean, it isn't an all out effort, like when I'm working out. I might work up a sweat, but I'm generally not working to the point of exhaustion, pushing myself to go harder, faster, etc., in general, utterly spent by the time I'm done. I think the best way to account for stuff like housecleaning is in the activity setting (keeping in mind that even sedentary people cook and clean and such).

    If you subtract your BMR, just how many extra calories are you burning, and are you doing it for a significantly long enough period of time for it to make a difference? I would love for someone that uses a HRM to answer this.
  • Bob314159
    Bob314159 Posts: 1,178 Member
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    It's all part of the activity level you set. It's daily activity not exercise IMHO. Just like me cutting the lawn is not exercise. There are days you'll do more and days you'll do less. It all evens out. If you don't believe me, get yourself a Fitbit and see how much difference there is in your daily energy expenditure from day to day. You were doing these kinds of activities before you decided to come here. I think if you are counting this kind of thing, your cheating yourself.

    So you're telling me after an 8 hour laborious workday (my job is extremely physical) that 40 minutes of intense cleaning to the point I'm sweating like a pig is cheating myself and it's just a daily expenditure? I think that's a bunch of bull.

    I did push mowing on my yard and it was 97 degrees. If that is not exercise and doesn't burn calories I don't what will. With that said I do not count washing dishes as exercise but I would count mopping floors and scrubbing exercise.

    I don''t count mowing my front yard - even if I sweat, but I do count cutting my back yard with a scythe - it's a total body workout
  • AbzRocks
    AbzRocks Posts: 45
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    When I do a spring clean I am drenched so of course I am going to log it but everyday normal cleaning I incorporate into my daily cals. I don't care what people log, moving instead of sitting on the couch is great so why not slap it on your exercise!
  • TheFunBun
    TheFunBun Posts: 793 Member
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    It really depends on your activity level. I consider myself active (and my calorie goal is set to reflect my super activity) and I just log anything over my estimated total burn. If that's garage cleaning, or carpet cleaning, I'll go for it. More often than not, it's crazy weights, taking an extra walk or dancing my *kitten* off.

    When I clean, my BodyMediaFit also goes haywire. It can easily add 400 calories burned to my day, and the last time I cleaned my garage it was like 900 extra calories burned.. and if I worked out that day as well...?

    damn it feels good to be a gangsta.
  • dvisser1
    dvisser1 Posts: 788 Member
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    It's all part of the activity level you set. It's daily activity not exercise IMHO. Just like me cutting the lawn is not exercise. There are days you'll do more and days you'll do less. It all evens out. If you don't believe me, get yourself a Fitbit and see how much difference there is in your daily energy expenditure from day to day. You were doing these kinds of activities before you decided to come here. I think if you are counting this kind of thing, your cheating yourself.

    I disagree that it's not exercise. If you take it into account for your normal, average, daily activity level when you set up your profile the I agree it's already accounted for and you should not log it. Doesn't matter what the activity is, if you already accounted for it you should not add it as exercise. Now if you did not account for it, go ahead and count it as exercise.

    Just because you were doing the activity before joining MFP does not mean you should not count it. By that logic I should not count going to the gym as exercise since I was doing it before joining here. Try to tell me going to the gym is not exercise! The only thing that matters is if you took that activity into account when setting up your profile, and only the person who set up the profile knows that. We are only accountable to ourselves, don't judge.

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