Housework does it really burn calories?

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Replies

  • zephtalah
    zephtalah Posts: 327 Member
    For all of those who wonder how many calories house cleaning really burns, perhaps you should look up some recent studies about lack of physical housework and increased waist measurements. There is a strong correlation. Back to the OP, normal everyday, I wouldn't include as it would be accounted for in my activity level (along with breathing and sleeping and whatever else anyone who is feeling snarky wants to add.) However, for major cleaning it is exercise so why not? It's like saying I worked out at home and not the gym is it okay to count that. Exercise is exercise. Calories burnt are calories burnt. It really doesn't matter where or in what manner they were done.

    What those studies don't account for is the way that we incorporate that activity into our overall eating/activity patterns. A substantial and "permanent" change can have an effect one way of the other, for example, going from living on college campus where you are walking from building to building and class to class to starting a full-time desk job. However, one day or several hours of increased activity done one time or occasionally will likely have little or no effect. Over a series of days, people tend to subconsciously increase food intake or decrease other activity to make up for the one-time bump.

    As human beings, we have very selective memories. We tend to vastly overestimate the "positive" things we do and ignore the negative ones that offset them.

    "Those studies" compared 1950's type housework and current levels of housework. Of course overeating will make one gain weight. Of course be extremely sedentary and not adjusting calorie intake to account for that is going to result in a gain. However, I fail to see what that has to do with what I said. There have also been studies of people who went back to the amount of calories typically eaten by a housewife in that era (which is more calories than now) and did the work like they did and shocker- they lost weight. My point was exercise is exercise. Any extra exercise above normal activity levels is eligible for logging as exercise. End of story.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    In the very beginning of trying to lose, I would count the deep cleaning days.. But, my friend (who has helped me greatly in this process) said to me.. did you deep clean while getting fat? I said yes. He then said to count nothing that I did while gaining. Shopping doesn't count, cleaning, walking a dog.. nope.

    I ran, skated, swam, hiked, and biked while gaining weight. Does it not count as exercise?
    The point is that you should be going above what you always did. It isn't that it is not exercise. I am sure some of that really burned. But, is it still all you do now?

    And I was not talking about your success. I was talking about mine. I couldn't even imagine that biking and hiking and running would cause me to gain weight. You must be so pissed at your stupid metabolism.

    I'm not pissed at my stupid metabolism. I ate too much, and when I was done eating, I drank enough calories to fuel a large man. For some people, at some times, yes, it makes sense to log cleaning, others it doesn't. How much effort someone puts into it also plays a part in whether they should log it. I don't think it is right to say that there is only one right way to do it. Was it heavy cleaning and the person has their settings at sedentary? Then they should probably log it. Does the person have their settings at active? Probably not a good idea to log any cleaning regardless of how hard they were working. Just because I did something before doesn't mean it stops burning calories now. When I first started on this site, I did log cleaning. Now, I don't. My heart rate doesn't get up as high, and I have my activity setting higher now.

    For the record, I didn't clean when I got fat. And I did log cleaning for the first couple of months on MFP, and I still log major cleaning, but i call it something else so that people don't get their panties in a wad with unsolicited advice.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    My point was exercise is exercise. Any extra exercise above normal activity levels is eligible for logging as exercise. End of story.

    Excellent point! Why simply jog in place when you can be productive?
  • amberlynnsinspired
    amberlynnsinspired Posts: 438 Member
    If you're moving, you're burning. That simple.
  • Amberonamission
    Amberonamission Posts: 836 Member
    In the very beginning of trying to lose, I would count the deep cleaning days.. But, my friend (who has helped me greatly in this process) said to me.. did you deep clean while getting fat? I said yes. He then said to count nothing that I did while gaining. Shopping doesn't count, cleaning, walking a dog.. nope.

    I ran, skated, swam, hiked, and biked while gaining weight. Does it not count as exercise?
    The point is that you should be going above what you always did. It isn't that it is not exercise. I am sure some of that really burned. But, is it still all you do now?

    And I was not talking about your success. I was talking about mine. I couldn't even imagine that biking and hiking and running would cause me to gain weight. You must be so pissed at your stupid metabolism.

    I'm not pissed at my stupid metabolism. I ate too much, and when I was done eating, I drank enough calories to fuel a large man. For some people, at some times, yes, it makes sense to log cleaning, others it doesn't. How much effort someone puts into it also plays a part in whether they should log it. I don't think it is right to say that there is only one right way to do it. Was it heavy cleaning and the person has their settings at sedentary? Then they should probably log it. Does the person have their settings at active? Probably not a good idea to log any cleaning regardless of how hard they were working. Just because I did something before doesn't mean it stops burning calories now. When I first started on this site, I did log cleaning. Now, I don't. My heart rate doesn't get up as high, and I have my activity setting higher now.
    I said that exact thing. In the beginning I logged it. You are just looking to troll and argue. That burns calories too. Probably not.
  • binknbaby
    binknbaby Posts: 207 Member
    Yes, it does burn calories. But to me, logging normal housework as exercise is the same as masturbating and then telling your friends "Oh man, I got laid last night".

    BWAHAHAHA!!!! Oh my goodness... I nearly spit out my lunch with that one! :laugh:
  • assblaster69
    assblaster69 Posts: 47 Member
    if you count it as exercise youre just lying to yourself and trying to make yourself feel better imo. i think its useless. unless you clean very vigorously.
  • TS65
    TS65 Posts: 1,024 Member
    In my opinion - if it doesn't make you out of breath and all sweaty, it doesn't count. :drinker: