Does anyone count housework as excersise?

StArBeLLa87
StArBeLLa87 Posts: 1,582 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I set my activity level at sedentary could I put cleaning In my calculation of calories burned? I'm not sedentary at all I work out 6 days a week with cardio 7 days a week please help any advice!
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Replies

  • sarab99
    sarab99 Posts: 134 Member
    Why did you choose the sedentary?
  • jzammetti
    jzammetti Posts: 1,956 Member
    no.
  • bevmcarthur
    bevmcarthur Posts: 341 Member
    do you get your heart rate up when you clean your house then yes if not then NO
  • AllisonConnell1301
    AllisonConnell1301 Posts: 98
    If I feel like the house work is making me break a sweat, I count it.
  • pinkraynedropjacki
    pinkraynedropjacki Posts: 3,027 Member
    I consider hanging the washing as exercise, but then I don't hang my washing like a normal person. I put the wash basket as far from the line as possible. Then I grab one item at a time, walk to the line (take as long as a route as I can) then hang it & take a long route back. Then do the whole thing again.....one item at a time. Takes me about 30-40 mins depending on the size of the load & I can build up some serious speed. I'm almost running when I'm doing it. I don't log it, cause my fitbit will take care of that part, but it's still exercise. I can get about 5000-6000 steps easy.

    I do the same if I have to hang it inside. I'll put the basket one end of the house & the clothing horse the other end & do one at a time.

    I also dance while doing the floors, and the dishes. I'm never standing still :)
  • JessHealthKick
    JessHealthKick Posts: 800 Member
    were you cleaning before you made a lifestyle change? If the answer is yes, then no you shouldn't. Depends of course on what your cleaning involves - I have such a small apartment and I do clean, but I wouldn't say it's that straining or anything...
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    My advice is to choose the correct activity level and then don't enter the housework.
  • spike90
    spike90 Posts: 704 Member
    I used to count it when I was set a sedentary back when I first started. Now I am active so I don't count it (although it is sill a workout for the body a lot of times in my opinion).
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
    If you're going to set your activity to "sedentary", then sure, log it...because I'm 99.44% certain you aren't sedentary.
  • pet1127
    pet1127 Posts: 572 Member
    nope I got fat while cleaning
  • cardiophile
    cardiophile Posts: 38
    If I want to justify an extra glass of wine on the weekend, I may plug in some housework.
  • Robin_Bin
    Robin_Bin Posts: 1,046 Member
    Not normally, but if I do large amounts, like spring cleaning for multiple hours, especially if it involves a lot of physical activity like carrying boxes up and down the stairs to and from storage.
  • NakeshiaB
    NakeshiaB Posts: 250 Member
    Unless I'm doing something out of the ordinary like a whole day of spring cleaning, then no, never. Housework is something most people do regardless of whether they are actively working out or not. It is part of most people's everyday life, separate from purposely exercising (I say most people because some people wouldn't know a dish cloth if you smacked them in the face with one). Think of it this way, do you count brushing your teeth as exercise?
  • Sunnyjb
    Sunnyjb Posts: 220
    Dishes, laundry, tidying etc... no

    organizing, moving furniture, cleaning out the garage etc, yes
  • pinkraynedropjacki
    pinkraynedropjacki Posts: 3,027 Member
    were you cleaning before you made a lifestyle change? If the answer is yes, then no you shouldn't. Depends of course on what your cleaning involves - I have such a small apartment and I do clean, but I wouldn't say it's that straining or anything...


    Under that same logic though. You were eating before you made a change, are you going to stop considering that as well in your day to day activities or just stop eating? No, you still log it I guess. Same applies to housework. Regardless if you do it daily, weekly or whatever..... it's still more than doing nothing at all.
  • StArBeLLa87
    StArBeLLa87 Posts: 1,582 Member
    I'm not sedentary at all I work out over a hr a day so what would I put it at?
  • Viva81Diva
    Viva81Diva Posts: 148
    Not if I do it on a daily basis. Now if I organize or move furniture around or even steam clean, then I will. Yardwork, for sure.
  • sarahDickson501
    sarahDickson501 Posts: 87 Member
    th only cleaning I count is extra deep cleaning that causes me to sweat. (like detailing my truck, lol)
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    What's your activity like other than exercise?
  • pinkraynedropjacki
    pinkraynedropjacki Posts: 3,027 Member
    I workout for at least an hour & I out myself down as lightly active I think. But then you know me & I'm on the go all day.

    Desk job with little exercise Little to no exercise
    1-3 hrs/wk of light exercise Light exercise (1–3 days per week)
    3-5 hrs/wk of moderate exercise Moderate exercise (3–5 days per week)
    5-6 hrs/wk of strenuous exercise Heavy exercise (6–7 days per week)
    7-21 hrs/wk of strenuous exercise/work Very heavy exercise (twice per day, extra heavy workouts)
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
    I'm not sedentary at all I work out over a hr a day so what would I put it at?

    Ultimately, it doesn't matter what you put it at *at first*...because then you should track consistently for 6+ weeks and *then* determine if you need to change it. People are different in their BMR and the only way to figure that out for each individual is to track and adjust. That said, I recommend starting at "lightly active" and logging your exercise on top of that. (Myself, I had to tweak it up to "active" to account for my metabolism.) Track consistently for 6+ weeks and then reevaluate. If you're losing too quickly, bump it up to "active". Too slowly and then consider dropping it. Track again for at least 6 weeks and reevaluate again. Repeat cycle until goal reached.
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
    If you set your activity level to sedentary, then anything that you do that involves moving around can be counted as exercise. If you call yourself active, then no, you should not count housework as an exercise. If you call yourself active, based on your workout, then you shouldn't count your workout separately either.
  • tmiracle11
    tmiracle11 Posts: 9
    Isn't house cleaning under the exercise database on MFP? I've never used it but I believe it's there...
  • StArBeLLa87
    StArBeLLa87 Posts: 1,582 Member
    I worked out 900 plus minutes this week and that's usually my average a week
  • pinkraynedropjacki
    pinkraynedropjacki Posts: 3,027 Member
    nope I got fat while cleaning

    No you got fat while eating.
  • Robin_Bin
    Robin_Bin Posts: 1,046 Member
    I'm not sedentary at all I work out over a hr a day so what would I put it at?
    There are multiple ways to do this. Some people calculate how much they burn including their normal weekly exercise and how much of a deficit they need. Then they put that in as a target. Because their exercise is already included in their target, they then record all exercise as 1 calorie. At the other extreme, some people say they are sedentary (low daily activity) and then record all kinds of activity, like shopping, housework etc.
    The concern is that you don't double count exercise or under eat by too much because you don't count exercise.
    Over time you'll see what works for you.
  • temple_n
    temple_n Posts: 29 Member
    I sweat so it counts.
  • temple_n
    temple_n Posts: 29 Member
    be nice
  • Project_Jodie
    Project_Jodie Posts: 171
    Nope - I wouldn't.
  • pinkraynedropjacki
    pinkraynedropjacki Posts: 3,027 Member
    I sweat so it counts.


    Just so you know, I sweat in my sleep. I'm not counting that as exercise. Sweat is not an indication of anything :happy:

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