Is housework considered excersise?

124

Replies

  • DonniesGirl69
    DonniesGirl69 Posts: 644 Member
    Good question, I'm getting my hair cut later on today, can I count this as exercise?

    Why be $hitty?

    Moving on......

    OP, I don't personally count cleaning as exercise, even heavy duty cleaning and furniture moving, but it totally could be counted. I've seen alot of others logging it. It's a lot of effort and exertion, particularly if you're doing it alone.
  • paleirishmother
    paleirishmother Posts: 242
    I would say no, unless it is not something you do everyday.-- spring cleaning, cleaning out the garage, yard work..etc.
  • mhouston2011
    mhouston2011 Posts: 155
    I think alot of people on here get carried away trying to see how big of a number they can post daily for calories burnt by exercise. I've seen alot of crazy things logged. I don't count house cleaning, cooking...I just look at those as daily activities. If you are that persistent to log it, wear a HRM and input the right numbers and don't use MFP's database. If you clean houses for a living (continously for up to 8 hours a day) then yes you are burning alot of calories cleaning. Dusting furniture, vaccuming, sweeping...don't fret over that..just think of it as a bonus as to what you already burn daily.
  • BogQueen1
    BogQueen1 Posts: 320 Member
    In my humble opinion, housework you do every day, that you include as part of your BMR (say you do enough housework every day to boost you from sedentary to lightly active) then that's already counted for. However if it's something extra that you don't do every day, something you only do once or twice a month and you really work up a sweat and feel tired afterwards? I say count it.
  • DonniesGirl69
    DonniesGirl69 Posts: 644 Member
    Good question, I'm getting my hair cut later on today, can I count this as exercise?

    I love how the men post things like this.. Maybe if they DID house work they would know you can break a big sweat scrubbing the shower and moving the furniture all day.

    edit: Not all men... just the majority I know.

    AMEN!

    On heavy cleaning days, I sweat more in the house with all the work than I do during a 5 mile run!
  • NikkiGetsFit185
    NikkiGetsFit185 Posts: 93 Member
    I personally log it as exercise because i only do my "big clean" once a week and that i log under cleaning light, but the normal just tidy up stuff i do not log in, but if i am moving boxes and furniture like you stated then yes because that is outside of what you normally do.
  • Rdahl2
    Rdahl2 Posts: 90
    Good question, I'm getting my hair cut later on today, can I count this as exercise?

    Really? Is that really a fair comparison? I get sarcasm, but really? just don't respond if that is the attitude you need to take.

    ^^^My thoughts exactly^^^ The op had a reasonable question. Always someone around that has to be sarcastic. I count my cleaning as exercise. Hell if im sweating while doing the work i know im burning cals. I try not to eat all those back just because im not sure how accurate the cal burn is that mfp says.
  • Elzecat
    Elzecat Posts: 2,916 Member
    Well, is it? I have been doing fall house cleaning (I mean serious cleaning, including furniture moving) for the past 3 days and I am exhausted. However, I have not logged it as exercise. Given how hungry have been (probably due to the physical exertion) I think it should count for some extra exercise calories I could eat back.

    ...and if I do count it, how many calories does it actually burn up?

    1. You diary, your rules. Don't let people judge what you choose to count for exercise. If you burned it, you earned it. If you decide you earned too much, you'll be able to see for yourself that your weight loss slows down or stops, and you should be open-minded about experimenting and adjusting accordingly.

    2. If you have your lifestyle set as sedentary and are moving furniture around, that is FAR more than the activity level expected of a sedentary lifestyle. Since this is, I presume, not a daily activity, you're better off tracking it as extra calories rather than adjusting your lifestyle.

    3. There is a cardio exercise called "housekeeping/general", I think. I'd generally log about half to three-quarters the time you spend doing the housework, since in general MFP's exercise database assumes you are doing anything at its maximum effort level continuously.

    Most importantly, if you did unusually high levels of exercise for a couple of days and felt unusually hungry - you just answered your own question - feed the machine. Just don't go overboard with it.

    This, especially #1.
    Do what works for YOU and ignore the snarky responses.
  • kais79
    kais79 Posts: 41 Member
    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.

    THIS exactly! If you have MFP set to sedentary, doing heavy cleaning like this will definitely increase your caloric burn for the day. Very cut and dry, its biology. Count it. :)
  • MSmooth747
    MSmooth747 Posts: 55 Member
    Simply NO. Clean is a basic routine. You can not count that and more than you count walking through the parking lot to get to your car.
  • fit_librarian
    fit_librarian Posts: 242 Member
    It depends. I count it if I am scrubbing, sweeping, vacuuming, or doing something that causes me to move around more. But if I'm doing laundry or just picking up around the house then I don't count it.
  • gp79
    gp79 Posts: 1,799 Member
    If you were truly hungry, you should just eat something. Or you could just use it in your favor and stick to whatever your plan is. Counting things like housecleaning is silly as there is no real way to log it accurately.

    You can check with a HRM. I did that and it was telling me that housework was exercise :)

    I would suggest you do a little research on what a HRM is good for. It's not going to measure this type of activity correctly.
  • smnassise
    smnassise Posts: 22 Member
    It's in the cardio excercise choices...there are a few different levels to choose from. Happy cleaning!
  • rbn_held
    rbn_held Posts: 690 Member
    I think it depends on what type of housework. Dusting, vacuuming, dishes ect...no, but if you are moving furniture or climbing stairs alot, the i would say yes. We just bought a house that has 3 levels and I am constantly running up and downs stairs putting things away and been climbing up and down ladders cleaning and painting. I definately have been logging it. Now tonight is bathroom cleaning night but I wont count it since I don't feel like there is much of a workout involved there.
  • loumaag
    loumaag Posts: 118
    As stated previously, in contravention to all the "know it alls" this site seems to collect, it depends on your normal activity setting. If you are sedentary, anything you do that is not sitting on the couch or lying in bed is exercise, including walking in the parking lot, loading your car with groceries, going to the store, etc. That is how the activity levels are set here at MFP.

    What is one person's exercise is someone else's normal routine. If it is part of your normal routine and you didn't consider that when you set your activity level, then adjust one or the other.
  • Marinayes
    Marinayes Posts: 21 Member
    I really had no idea this was such a hot button issue around here. Thanks to everyone who answered. I think I will log it since I only do a cleaning this heavy twice a year (fall and spring), I definitely don't have it as part of my normal routine. This is more than washing dishes, tidying up and vacuuming.
  • missytrishy
    missytrishy Posts: 203 Member
    LOL'd :tongue:
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    If you were truly hungry, you should just eat something. Or you could just use it in your favor and stick to whatever your plan is. Counting things like housecleaning is silly as there is no real way to log it accurately.

    You can check with a HRM. I did that and it was telling me that housework was exercise :)

    People that think housework isn't exercise either have someone else clean for them or they have a dirty house! :tongue:
  • KristysLosing
    KristysLosing Posts: 683
    i don't clean, my husband does all the housework, so when i do bother to do it, i list it. i do laundry and cat pans every week, so i don't list it, but if i got wild and busted out the vacuum i would list it.

    How did you get him to do the housework? That is so not fair! Some days I feel like I'm cleaning up after a 3rd child!
  • KristysLosing
    KristysLosing Posts: 683
    Simply NO. Clean is a basic routine. You can not count that and more than you count walking through the parking lot to get to your car.

    Yes you can. This is not everyday cleaning. She said she was movin furniture big deal cleaning. So while washing the dishes and vacuuming is a no, I would say this is a yes!
  • Superbritt2drescu
    Superbritt2drescu Posts: 273 Member
    To me no, I think its a personal thing though. I moved, I clean heavy duty every other week. (Including moving furniture and such. I don't count it. I count going for runs, or going to the gym, or racing in a 5K as my exercise. :)
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    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!!!

    You are confusing the word "exercise" with the term "cardiovascular exercise."
  • brendamanning34
    brendamanning34 Posts: 6 Member
    I agree, yes you can count calories burned cleaning house. That's why there is a catagory under our exercise tracking!
    I just finished doing 90 minutes of cleaning with NO breaks. I'm tired, i deserve to use those calories. I will still do my regular exercise I do every day.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    Simply NO. Clean is a basic routine. You can not count that and more than you count walking through the parking lot to get to your car.

    Yes you can. This is not everyday cleaning. She said she was movin furniture big deal cleaning. So while washing the dishes and vacuuming is a no, I would say this is a yes!

    You can count the parking garage too, especially if you start taking the stairs instead of the elevator. My first few weeks, I always logged everything that wasn't sitting at a desk or on the couch. I only quit because it was too time consuming, plus I did it enough to remember. Some days I don't feel like taking the stairs, by the way. And I count my daily routine as sedentary. Before MFP, all I did was sit or lie down all day, except to cook dinner. (and I sat as much as I could during that)
  • Jacwhite22
    Jacwhite22 Posts: 7,010 Member
    Simply NO. Clean is a basic routine. You can not count that and more than you count walking through the parking lot to get to your car.

    I wear a fitbit.....So I guess I do kind of count both of these.....
  • Sarahbara76
    Sarahbara76 Posts: 601 Member
    Good question, I'm getting my hair cut later on today, can I count this as exercise?
    WOW.....Would you like a little bowl of milk?:noway: She asked about heavy, non- everyday out of the ordinary cleaning, not everyday stuff...Which made her tired and hungry -same as what a 4 hour hike would do....
    To the OP, like others said, if it's not something you do everyday, log the calories...I won't eat all of it, but definitely enough to fuel my body for the extra energy required...

    :laugh: awesome retort!! I wore my HRM the last time I did some major cleaning and I burned more then MFP says.. I don't clean every day.. I do prepare meals everyday a few times a day so I don't count that also I have changed my calorie goal to reflect all I do burn in a day recently because I found out I was under eating...I hate all those folks who say it's not a good burn..for some cleaning jobs it is..like mopping floors and it burns MAJOR calories!!
  • Sarahbara76
    Sarahbara76 Posts: 601 Member
    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.

    Exactly.

    I agree!
    \


    I disagree- I didn't do housework when I gained.. my house was gross and I rarely had clean clothes unless I saved up and did them all in a weekend.. I ate a lot when I was fat and barely moved off the bed or away from the TV. Soon as I started being move active the weight came off.. I also ate a lot less...
  • smtillman2
    smtillman2 Posts: 756 Member
    DavPaul says you can burn 1000 calories in 30 minutes cleaning your house if you work hard enough.

    That must be one seriously nasty house if you're burning that many calories when you clean.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    DavPaul says you can burn 1000 calories in 30 minutes cleaning your house if you work hard enough.

    True story. And when you folks are done logging your housework you can burn some extra calories cleaning up the squat rack area. That spot in my gym definitely needs some extra attention. Lots of sweat from lots of bicep curls.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    As stated previously, in contravention to all the "know it alls" this site seems to collect, it depends on your normal activity setting. If you are sedentary, anything you do that is not sitting on the couch or lying in bed is exercise, including walking in the parking lot, loading your car with groceries, going to the store, etc. That is how the activity levels are set here at MFP.

    What is one person's exercise is someone else's normal routine. If it is part of your normal routine and you didn't consider that when you set your activity level, then adjust one or the other.

    Sir, I hate to get all "know it ally", but I think you've got "sedentary" confused with "comatose". Sedentary means you don't do much strenuous activity. It does not mean you do *no* activity. My counter is set at sedentary, and if I use your definition of the word I'll have to start logging bathroom breaks.

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