Is housework considered excersise?

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  • Tammerdam
    Tammerdam Posts: 2
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    Any physical exertion can count as exercise. That's what exercise is. So doing heavy cleaning etc. is definately exercise. You are exerting energy thereby using up calories.
  • Jacwhite22
    Jacwhite22 Posts: 7,012 Member
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    so its 3-4 hours of non stop movements, pulling, pushing, going up and down etc. When Im done, I am more tired than after working out.

    Are we still talking about cleaning house?
  • dane11235813
    dane11235813 Posts: 684 Member
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    DavPaul says you can burn 1000 calories in 30 minutes cleaning your house if you work hard enough.

    ummmmm. no

    it's a joke dude.
  • carhicks
    carhicks Posts: 1,924 Member
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    It depends on your activity level setting. If you told MFP you were sedentary, this would be considered exercise. If you told MFP you were active, and you did this housework in lieu of the normal exercise/sports you would generally do, it would not be considered exercise.

    ^^^^ I agree.
    If I do heavy stuff that I only do once in a while and on those days, I do not have time to do any other exercise, I break a sweat and am exhausted at the end of the day, I count it. I have my level set on sedentary because I am retired, so that extra strenuous stuff burns extra calories and therefore I would count it.
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
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    I don't count housework. I do, however, count yard work. I've mowed the lawn with my HRM and burned almost 300 calories doing it :)
  • WestCoastPhoenix
    WestCoastPhoenix Posts: 802 Member
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    I think it's a joke to count every single time you get off your butt in a day...even if you are marked sedentary. If logging it somehow motivates you...then sure whatever...otherwise I think logging part of your normal routine is silly.
  • karenmi
    karenmi Posts: 242 Member
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    My mindset: I did that kind of stuff when I was fat.

    What I DIDNT do when I was fat was diet and exercise. So those mindful, purposeful things I count. The rest I just chalk up to life as a bonus.

    But there are people who are successful in counting stuff like house cleaning, sex, riding a motorcycle. I just don't call that stuff exercise.

    I tend to agree with this. I only count "intentional" exercise, like working out at the gym or a strenuous walk. I don't even count walking my dogs as exercise, as I don't walk very fast and when I've worn my HRM to check my heart rate was barely up.
  • iAMaPhoenix
    iAMaPhoenix Posts: 1,038 Member
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    If you need to log in some housework as exercise, my address is 5987 Oak St, My Town, Fl 35978. Any day is good except for Sunday. Guaranteed to burn 3598 calories a day.
  • JConstine
    JConstine Posts: 69
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    I personally don't log it but if you feel like you've really exerted yourself, feel free to log it and don't let anyone make you feel bad for it.

    At the very least, if after doing something physical you find yourself hungry, then eat something. :) Most often something small is enough to satisfy your body until your next meal.
  • Jacwhite22
    Jacwhite22 Posts: 7,012 Member
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    DavPaul says you can burn 1000 calories in 30 minutes cleaning your house if you work hard enough.

    ummmmm. no

    it's a joke dude.

    Thank God. I've heard worse serious statements on here before.
  • Yieya
    Yieya Posts: 168 Member
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    Good question, I'm getting my hair cut later on today, can I count this as exercise?

    Not a fair comparison and just plain snarky...

    As for the OP, I wouldn't count normal everyday cleaning BUT if you are doing very heavy stuff like lifting / moving furniture going up and down stairs repetitively why not count it? Wouldn’t you count doing similar things like that in the gym? And to answer another person’s comment, no I wouldn't have done that before MFP. I would have had my husband do it cause I was too lazy...lol
  • cebreisch
    cebreisch Posts: 1,340 Member
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    You might consider getting somehting like a Fitbit. It syncs with MyFitnessPal. I got it in February, and it's been tooted on Dr. Oz - that's where I first heard about it. It counts steps, distance walked, stairs climbed up/down, calories burned, and can even monitor how well you sleep. The device itself costs about $100, but the website is free (unless you want some of the premium services), but I've been checking my calories consumed vs. calories burned to make sure the "burned" line is above the "consumed" line - figuring if I keep up with that aspect, then I'll lose.

    Anyway, I consider it more of an activity monitor - You can enter things like "walking at a slow pace" or lifting weights. I don't know if it has a "housecleaning" option, but on the days I do housecleaning, you can tell by looking at the activity monitor.

    Since it syncs with Myfitnesspal, it'll also tell you if you've burned enough extra calories to "earn more calories" for the day - on the food journal towards the bottom, you'll see "You've earned 80 extra calories from activity" or something like that, and it'll automatically adjust the calories for you.
  • fcp1234
    fcp1234 Posts: 1,098 Member
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    so its 3-4 hours of non stop movements, pulling, pushing, going up and down etc. When Im done, I am more tired than after working out.

    Are we still talking about cleaning house?

    Yes, I move almost every furniture when I clean. You know how heavy my bed is?
  • Hownow37
    Hownow37 Posts: 14 Member
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    I don't care who says what: vaccuming the stairs COUNTS!
  • Cliffslosinit
    Cliffslosinit Posts: 5,044 Member
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    so its 3-4 hours of non stop movements, pulling, pushing, going up and down etc. When Im done, I am more tired than after working out.

    Are we still talking about cleaning house?

    Yes, I move almost every furniture when I clean. You know how heavy my bed is?

    Stop flirting Jack is married......how heavy is my bed sheesh:bigsmile:
  • MLgarcia3
    MLgarcia3 Posts: 503
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    I never ever count it. In MY opinion, it's not exercise. Even when I break a sweat doing it.
  • dane11235813
    dane11235813 Posts: 684 Member
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    DavPaul says you can burn 1000 calories in 30 minutes cleaning your house if you work hard enough.

    ummmmm. no

    it's a joke dude.

    Thank God. I've heard worse serious statements on here before.

    sad part was that there was a guy in a thread telling Dav and I (and well everyone) that's how many calories he burned. but he was also a trainer and an elite athlete (and part transformer too i think) so his burns were different.
  • Francesca3162
    Francesca3162 Posts: 520 Member
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    I have mine set to sedentary.
    And I have my weight loss set to 1 lb per week.
    So while I log most of my energy expenditure, I rarely eat those calories back.
    and just hope it adds a little to my weight loss in the long run.
  • MonicaFlachman
    MonicaFlachman Posts: 64
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    I would never conider house cleaning exercise. Most people who clean house stop and take breaks and its not consistant. Exercise= Getting your heart rate up for at least 30+ minute dailiy and keeping it up for 30+ minutes. Exersise is more than just physically moving!!!
  • fcp1234
    fcp1234 Posts: 1,098 Member
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    so its 3-4 hours of non stop movements, pulling, pushing, going up and down etc. When Im done, I am more tired than after working out.

    Are we still talking about cleaning house?

    Yes, I move almost every furniture when I clean. You know how heavy my bed is?

    Stop flirting Jack is married......how heavy is my bed sheesh:bigsmile:

    You guys got issues:). I take cleanning very seriously.

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