Burning Calories with Housework

lisabinco

For those of us who have to do housework and yardwork, here are some great sites that list the calorie burning you can achieve. We have to do it anyway, so why not consider that exercise, too?

http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/fitness/weight-loss/calories-burned-doing-household-chores.html

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_many_calories_burned_doing_house_work

I know I'm sweaty and tired after cleaning bathrooms, pulling weeds, vacuuming, and polishing floors and mirrors. I can't add it to my exercise list because it doesn't fit the criteria this site wants. However, it's certainly valid activity. Some chores are cardiovascular and some are strength training, and some are both!

HoosieBubba

The links aren't active. Do you mean I have to actually copy and paste the url? Ughhhh! lol

lisabinco

Yea, you have to do it the old fashioned way. But it's interesting to see how many calories you can burn just vacuuming your little heart out. You should like that, being the clean-freak you is.

HoosieBubba

OK, I found the topic. And Yes, I'm going to count my housework calories. I broke a sweat cleaning out my fridge! Tomorrow, the pantry and maybe even my desk!

lisabinco

I saw another discussion topic about housework. Recent topic.
AND there's a place where you can find calorie counts for housework. If you go to the Exercise tab, and search the Dababase for "Cleaning - Heavy, vigorous" or "Cleaning - Light, moderate" and you can check for calories burned. What I couldn't figure out was how to get that into my cardio area to count as exercise.

DeadMarsha

I discovered this in the database today too while I was perusing possible exercises to do on vacation... tonight I'm cleaning the house, so I figured why not make it count?

You can add it to your cardio the same way as any other activity, just search cleaning.

Jynus

The question becomes where is the cuttoff for exercise, and not doing exercise. Right now I'm moving my fingers to type this post. Am I doing exercise? I am burning more calories than if I was sitting on the couch doing nothing after all.. What if I go a step further and raise and lower my arm a hundred times, did I do exercise there? I moved multiple muscles and did more work than sitting around again. Did you know if you stand up from sitting, your calorie burn increases by ~30%. Thats a huge jump, that must mean standing is exercise, right?

Just trying to get some examples for you to think about. Here's the answer. Living a daily routine is NOT exercise. Here's why. Your body has 4 energy systems. The base one is the fatty acid oxidative system, this is what powers your basic movement patterns. When I'm typing, moving limbs, do very low impact work like a slow walk, this is the primary driver. Using this system is NOT exercise. It's the same system used to lift food to your mouth and change the channel on the TV, which sedentary people are very good at doing lots of reps worth for hours a day. Again, NOT exercise.

It's not till your body hits intensity hard enough that the cardio system starts being used that you've hit what can be called exercise with any validity. So you need to see a heartrate increase, and prob some sweat. So when we say housework, ya possibly it's exercise, but if we're talking vacuuming the floor, wiping the counters and dusting the blinds at a casual and non strenuous pace, I'm sorry to say it's not. If you pick it up, rush, and are having to physically move furniture, your heartrate is at a decent clip to be in a cardio zone and you're doing it consistently for an extended period of time, well then congrats, you're doing exercise..

TLDR: If you're working at an intensity that only used the fatty acid oxidative energy system, you're NOT doing exercise. If you're working at an intensity that uses the cardio energy system, you're doing exercise.

DavPul

The links aren't active. Do you mean I have to actually copy and paste the url? Ughhhh! lol

Is there a site that will calculate how many calories I burn cutting and pasting so I can log it?

moss11

Perhaps while"some" are out doing there VALID exercise others are reaching HITT keeping the house in order because " some" just don't have the time!!

droogievesch

Perhaps while"some" are out doing there VALID exercise others are reaching HITT keeping the house in order because " some" just don't have the time!!

Did you mean to come off so rude? What one person considers exercise is their own opinion. Let them log whatever they want as exercise; just because MFP says you burned XXX amount of calories doesn't mean it's true. If they don't get the results they want they can reconsider. If they are getting the results they want then who is anyone to judge?

Looking at the first website, they had some good things listed. My concern is the time lengths. I don't make beds for 30 minutes. Stripping and remaking my bed takes 5 minutes tops. Loading the dishwasher takes a few minutes, not 30 or 60 minutes.

Would I personally log exercise? No. I pick up a few books, check FB, switch the laundry, check out what's in the fridge, text a friend, wipe off the counters, etc. Will I look down on anyone else for logging it? Absolutely not, if they're wrong they aren't hurting anyone but themselves.

seadancer811

I love turning on salsa music, and dance around while I clean the house. My house gets really clean because its fun and I'm burning calories. My kids think I'm crazy though.

moss11

No. If I am doing a vigorous house clean I will log, if routine then no. As someone said you can make it really active and it will probably burn just as much as some of the other cardio we log.

MCproptart

There was a time in my life when I sat on my couch lamenting to my friend that I just felt so fat and sluggish and my messy house was making me even more depressed. To which I added, if I'd just get my ...self... off the couch and clean my messy house then I would be burning calories AND have a clean house to boot.

If counting housework as your calories gets you excited to get off the couch and do something so you can log it, and the results make you happy, then go for it. It's not a "cardio workout" per se, but if you're bending, lifting, & moving, and that butt print fades from your couch, then go for it! It's a great jumping-off point. "A body in motion stays in motion." Maybe starting off with 20 minutes of housework will lead to 20 minutes of jogging in place simply because it's good to be moving.

Also, some folks can't handle much more than that. I had brain surgery in October. While I am very nearly back to normal now with my fatigue and balance issues, in February it was all I could do to work my full work day then come home and walk the dog.

I'm pretty sure this site is about being supportive, not being critical--it's harder to get your message across in a way that uplifts rather than putting down--here's to healthier houses and healthier Fitness Pals!

lisabinco

I love turning on salsa music, and dance around while I clean the house. My house gets really clean because its fun and I'm burning calories. My kids think I'm crazy though.

Yep, counting housework (and yard work) calories works for me. I hate weight training and I hate wasting my energy just working on a machine when I can put that energy to use getting myself a clean house or a freshly mowed lawn or a weed-free back yard. All of which can be pretty sweaty work. Yep, I vacuum for a good hour non-stop -- the time it takes me to do all the carpets on both floors. I then mop wood and tile floors for another hour -- lots of floor space in my place. Yep, I'm sweating. Yep, I have peppy music on my iPod and it keeps me moving pretty quick. Cleaning three and a half bathrooms on 2 floors is sweaty work, too. You all do it anyway you want, but me, I'm counting housework and yard work calories.

lisabinco

There was a time in my life when I sat on my couch lamenting to my friend that I just felt so fat and sluggish and my messy house was making me even more depressed. To which I added, if I'd just get my ...self... off the couch and clean my messy house then I would be burning calories AND have a clean house to boot.

If counting housework as your calories gets you excited to get off the couch and do something so you can log it, and the results make you happy, then go for it. It's not a "cardio workout" per se, but if you're bending, lifting, & moving, and that butt print fades from your couch, then go for it! It's a great jumping-off point. "A body in motion stays in motion." Maybe starting off with 20 minutes of housework will lead to 20 minutes of jogging in place simply because it's good to be moving.

Also, some folks can't handle much more than that. I had brain surgery in October. While I am very nearly back to normal now with my fatigue and balance issues, in February it was all I could do to work my full work day then come home and walk the dog.

I'm pretty sure this site is about being supportive, not being critical--it's harder to get your message across in a way that uplifts rather than putting down--here's to healthier houses and healthier Fitness Pals!

Good points: whatever makes you get off the couch, do it; any motion is good motion whatever you can do; and supportive above all. Thanks!

reedandmalloy

I definitely am going to count some of the housework I do. I clean a couple of houses a week for extra money, and one if for four hours and one is for three hours. I don't take any breaks in that time. I am soaked with sweat 20 minutes into each house cleaning. One of the houses is 3,000 square feet and all carpet except the 3 bathrooms. A lot of vacuuming goes into that. Also, I just cleaned out my fridge and it took over 30 minutes. Sadly, I was sweating and gasping for breath a few minutes into it...which is mainly because I'm so out of shape. I don't eat my exercise calories so it really doesn't matter, I just like seeing things the numbers add up.

kirkor

I think if you're counting housework towards calories burned you are kidding yourself, and will not see the results you expect.

MarineCodie

I once had a friend who logged brushing her teeth... I had to break up with her haha.

I wouldn't log it.... even if it was vigorous yard work. I just count those as bonus burns.

MaiLinna

The question becomes where is the cuttoff for exercise, and not doing exercise. Right now I'm moving my fingers to type this post. Am I doing exercise? I am burning more calories than if I was sitting on the couch doing nothing after all.. What if I go a step further and raise and lower my arm a hundred times, did I do exercise there? I moved multiple muscles and did more work than sitting around again. Did you know if you stand up from sitting, your calorie burn increases by ~30%. Thats a huge jump, that must mean standing is exercise, right?

Just trying to get some examples for you to think about. Here's the answer. Living a daily routine is NOT exercise. Here's why. Your body has 4 energy systems. The base one is the fatty acid oxidative system, this is what powers your basic movement patterns. When I'm typing, moving limbs, do very low impact work like a slow walk, this is the primary driver. Using this system is NOT exercise. It's the same system used to lift food to your mouth and change the channel on the TV, which sedentary people are very good at doing lots of reps worth for hours a day. Again, NOT exercise.

It's not till your body hits intensity hard enough that the cardio system starts being used that you've hit what can be called exercise with any validity. So you need to see a heartrate increase, and prob some sweat. So when we say housework, ya possibly it's exercise, but if we're talking vacuuming the floor, wiping the counters and dusting the blinds at a casual and non strenuous pace, I'm sorry to say it's not. If you pick it up, rush, and are having to physically move furniture, your heartrate is at a decent clip to be in a cardio zone and you're doing it consistently for an extended period of time, well then congrats, you're doing exercise..

TLDR: If you're working at an intensity that only used the fatty acid oxidative energy system, you're NOT doing exercise. If you're working at an intensity that uses the cardio energy system, you're doing exercise.

Just throwing this out there: If you moved into a new house/apartment and had to clean it or move boxes, count that as exercise. It's not normal or an every day thing. If you never clean, do housework, or only get up and do it once a week, count it, because your lazy butt is actually getting up and doing something. (I'm extremely sedentary and sit at a computer 90% of my day. Housework is SERIOUSLY exercise for me. :P)

Athijade

I do not log housework. Not vacuuming, not loading the dishwasher, not changing sheets, not doing laundry, not mopping... none of that stuff. It is stuff that has to be done. Yes, I might burn a few more calories then if I hadn't done it, but my "daily" activities even out because some days I don't do anything extra. Like today is a "lazy day". That evens out with my days of cleaning and packing.

Now, I might add a few more calories the day I actually move since I will be carrying heavy boxes up and down flights of stairs. I have also added a few more calories when I have fully cleaned out the raised garden beds and replanted all of them in one day on 80+ degree heat. But those are very abnormal days and I don't add back what anyone SAYS I burn. Just 100-200 calories more on those days.

I believe that logging the more normal housework would make me eat more calories that I should be. I do not believe the counts are all that accurate and lead to false numbers.

phjorg1

The question becomes where is the cuttoff for exercise, and not doing exercise. Right now I'm moving my fingers to type this post. Am I doing exercise? I am burning more calories than if I was sitting on the couch doing nothing after all.. What if I go a step further and raise and lower my arm a hundred times, did I do exercise there? I moved multiple muscles and did more work than sitting around again. Did you know if you stand up from sitting, your calorie burn increases by ~30%. Thats a huge jump, that must mean standing is exercise, right?

Just trying to get some examples for you to think about. Here's the answer. Living a daily routine is NOT exercise. Here's why. Your body has 4 energy systems. The base one is the fatty acid oxidative system, this is what powers your basic movement patterns. When I'm typing, moving limbs, do very low impact work like a slow walk, this is the primary driver. Using this system is NOT exercise. It's the same system used to lift food to your mouth and change the channel on the TV, which sedentary people are very good at doing lots of reps worth for hours a day. Again, NOT exercise.

It's not till your body hits intensity hard enough that the cardio system starts being used that you've hit what can be called exercise with any validity. So you need to see a heartrate increase, and prob some sweat. So when we say housework, ya possibly it's exercise, but if we're talking vacuuming the floor, wiping the counters and dusting the blinds at a casual and non strenuous pace, I'm sorry to say it's not. If you pick it up, rush, and are having to physically move furniture, your heartrate is at a decent clip to be in a cardio zone and you're doing it consistently for an extended period of time, well then congrats, you're doing exercise..

TLDR: If you're working at an intensity that only used the fatty acid oxidative energy system, you're NOT doing exercise. If you're working at an intensity that uses the cardio energy system, you're doing exercise.

Just throwing this out there: If you moved into a new house/apartment and had to clean it or move boxes, count that as exercise. It's not normal or an every day thing. If you never clean, do housework, or only get up and do it once a week, count it, because your lazy butt is actually getting up and doing something. (I'm extremely sedentary and sit at a computer 90% of my day. Housework is SERIOUSLY exercise for me. :P)

Bet you don't go to the movies very often. So that's a non everyday thing to. You better log all that sitting then...

Just cause you're doing something different does NOT mean you did exercise.