House Cleaning count as Exercise?

Options
2456

Replies

  • PriceK01
    PriceK01 Posts: 834 Member
    Options
    No. I consider exercise to be exercise.

    If you work up a big sweat doing some major house cleaning, just consider it a bonus.

    Exactly how I look at, too. House cleaning is part of my normal activity. Why cheat myself by trying to log it so that I can eat an extra cookie?
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
    Options
    I never count it. I've seen too many people who consistently log it, everyday it's popping up in their newsfeed as 'light exercise' and I watch how their tickers don't move.
  • luckyclover78
    luckyclover78 Posts: 115 Member
    Options
    I don't count it because I was still doing it while I was stuffing my face and getting chubby.
  • Jlopez201
    Jlopez201 Posts: 61
    Options
    But that is just because I want to be on the safe side and not log in more/less than I should. If you feel like you have burned a significant amount of calories just cleaning your house alone then why not.
  • csuhar
    csuhar Posts: 779 Member
    Options
    This is among the activities that I just let a pedomiter give me credit for taking X-number of steps. For me, I'm usually talking lawn care or, with my current to-do list, painting rooms. It's activity, but it's really too irregular for me to try logging it, specifically, with any expectation of accuracy.
  • jessannprice
    jessannprice Posts: 183 Member
    Options
    I don't count things I do everyday.. laundry, cooking, cleaning up kitchen, etc...

    But when I know I'm going to be vacuuming, sweeping, mopping, scrubbing... then I put on my HRM and I count that crap!! Lol!

    Also, I try to clean very quickly and keep my heart rate up... work up a sweat.
  • CarmenSRT
    CarmenSRT Posts: 843 Member
    Options
    I wear a Body Media Fit Link. It tracks every thing I do and reports it to MFP. MFP gives me credit for my activity level depending on how far above (or below, I can lose consumable calories if I'm being a couch potato) my normal activity level I am. For me, it can be counted, depends on how awesomely I'm doing it. :happy:
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    Options
    I always work up a sweat while cleaning. So, as an experiment, I decided to wear my HRM while cleaning one day. Turns out I actually burned more calories than MFP estimates. So, to me, it is a form of exercise. I may not always log it, but I consider it to be a calorie burning activity.

    A HRM isn't meant to be worn that way and will give you wildly exaggerated numbers. Mine will tell me I burn over 150 calories sitting on my *kitten* watching TV which I know for a fact is not true.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
    Options
    just because your not working to the level of that Insanity workout doesn't mean that it is not excercise. That being said, I don't think that standing at the sink washing dishes counts, but I do count putting laundry away. Let me explain, I put one thing on a hanger and walk from the laundry room all the way to my bedroom closet and then back. I do each garment separately. I consistantly stay in motion. I also count vacuuming, gardening, and occasional cooking experiences. Anything that gets you up and moving should count, IMO. But, I do sit at a desk for 9 hrs and a car for 1 hour on weekdays so I am very sedentary.

    This is the worst example ever. By this reasoning, I should count waking up and getting out of bed in the morning because it "gets me up and moving"

    Also, why would not washing dishes count? You are moving your hands in a circular motion and that expends calories because you are, well moving...
  • missybct
    missybct Posts: 321 Member
    Options
    Nah, I never count it. Ever. I do quite a bit of it, but I'd prefer it to just be a nice extra - besides, I'm crap at it.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
    Options
    I always work up a sweat while cleaning. So, as an experiment, I decided to wear my HRM while cleaning one day. Turns out I actually burned more calories than MFP estimates. So, to me, it is a form of exercise. I may not always log it, but I consider it to be a calorie burning activity.

    A HRM isn't meant to be worn that way and will give you wildly exaggerated numbers. Mine will tell me I burn over 150 calories sitting on my *kitten* watching TV which I know for a fact is not true.

    Hey - you shoud log that 150 calories burnt. Your eyes were watching the tv so they were expending energy and hence, you were burning calories. Don't sell yourself short..

    I think I burned 50 cals responded to this thread..I am going to log that too! log log log all day long, gonna log my cals while I sing this song..
  • xLexa
    xLexa Posts: 482 Member
    Options
    Yesterday I strapped on my HRM while I was cleaning just actually out of curiosity - deep cleaning, washing walls, doors, scrubbing tiles. I actually burned the exact same in 40 minutes of that as I would in 40 minutes of brisk walking. Did I log it? Yes I did because it is not something I do every day, would I log picking up toys or washing dishes? No.
  • Annerk1
    Annerk1 Posts: 372 Member
    Options
    It depends. Running a dust rag, cleaning a toilet, or loading the dishwasher, no. Doing heavy scrubbing, vacuuming the entire house, cleaning carpets, scrubbing floors, scrubbing baseboards on my hands and knees, I count it.

    I washed my car yesterday and had to scrub the heck out of it to get the love bugs off, I put in for 15 minutes of heavy cleaning--although I was working on it for 45 minutes, half of it was just normal washing and hosing, not scrubbing.
  • bobbinseed
    bobbinseed Posts: 39 Member
    Options
    I only count it if I spend longer than 20 minutes doing it, especially if I am sweeping and mopping. I do not however count washing dishes or the swapping of laundry from washer to dryer, maybe if I hang things out on the line. I sure count when I clean out the chicken coop though bc it isn't an everyday activity.
  • Kimdbro
    Kimdbro Posts: 922 Member
    Options
    This is the age old debate on MFP. It gets people all worked up, too.

    Personally, I don't log it because it is a part of my normal daily activity. I would consider logging it if it was deep, seasonal clean and I was scaling ladders and such. It also depends on your setting - sedentary, lightly active, etc.

    ^^I agree^^ It's a pretty normal thing to be doing as part of your life... unless it's the major seasonal overhaul. It's the same debate as sex IMHO... if you never ever have sex and you suddenly have one earth shattering 2 hour marathon, then ok log it, but hopefully sex is a normal, relatively regular occurence (likely not 2 hour earth shattering marathon :ohwell: ) and thusly then logging it is moot.
  • missmegan831
    missmegan831 Posts: 824 Member
    Options
    I think if you are not sweating for longer than 60 mins it doesnt count... but to each their own I suppose, I know people that log cooking dinner, grocery shopping, even taking a shower as exercise!!!
  • JT_Taylor_99
    JT_Taylor_99 Posts: 72
    Options
    just because your not working to the level of that Insanity workout doesn't mean that it is not excercise. That being said, I don't think that standing at the sink washing dishes counts, but I do count putting laundry away. Let me explain, I put one thing on a hanger and walk from the laundry room all the way to my bedroom closet and then back. I do each garment separately. I consistantly stay in motion. I also count vacuuming, gardening, and occasional cooking experiences. Anything that gets you up and moving should count, IMO. But, I do sit at a desk for 9 hrs and a car for 1 hour on weekdays so I am very sedentary.

    This is the worst example ever. By this reasoning, I should count waking up and getting out of bed in the morning because it "gets me up and moving" You are moving your hands in a circular motion and that expends calories because you are, well moving...

    The force is to strong in this one...I must reply ^^^^^ this, Breathing burns calories do you count it? I think there at two types of people on MFP, those who workout hard and are proud of their efforts and those who will claim any movement as a calorie burn. If you didn't lose weight doing those things before MFP why in the world would you think it is going to help you now?
  • JanaCanada
    JanaCanada Posts: 917 Member
    Options
    If it makes you sweat, then it's aerobic and it counts. If not, I don't count it.

    Either way, MFP calulations for housework calories burned are waaay off, so if you're gonna log it, user a fitbit or something similar for more accuracy.
  • chineyLuv
    chineyLuv Posts: 130 Member
    Options
    I dont count it as exercise.
    I figured that if I'm burning a few extra calories by doing it, than good on me.
  • RmYWarrioR
    RmYWarrioR Posts: 36 Member
    Options
    I look at it this way. If you are manually srcubbing tile floors, washing windows (up and down a ladder), manually washing walls then, YES. We live in old Navy housing and have tile floors throughout the house, I work up a considerable sweat scrubbing the white tile floors weekly and log it as such. My HR is in my training zone and I add it in with the Insanity, Running, HI IT and Weight Training I do weekly. I don't agree things like sitting and watching tv while folding clothes or towels as exercise though.

Categories