Does anyone count housework as excersise?

24

Replies

  • vagirl8669
    vagirl8669 Posts: 96
    I don't know that routine housework should count cuz your body is used to that. If you scrubbing floors or building a deck, go ahead and count it. lol
  • treagal
    treagal Posts: 264 Member
    heck yes, i put cleaning as exercise. maybe you should change your settings, from sedentary to the next one.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 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.

    This is a good method. I'd say at least lightly active but maybe active depending on the rest of your day. I'm a housewife with no kids and lightly active is about right for me.
  • sweetash13
    sweetash13 Posts: 2
    Yes, when its about a few hours of cleaning i do every 3 months. When my room looks like a tornado, its takes at least 3hrs to clean it up, I break a sweat. I wouldn't count daily cleaning chores like sweeping, vacuuming or mopping.
  • stongjos
    stongjos Posts: 63 Member
    I'm not sedentary at all I work out over a hr a day so what would I put it at?

    I think sedentary is for your work. If you're sitting all day in front of a computer, than you're sedentary. I guess it counts for about 8 hours a day. Everything you do after work you log it into exercise. If you are a postman than you don't put it like you're sedentary, you put active. But you don't log that exercise because it is counted in your work... I don't know how to explain it well...

    As for logging housework, I logged it today, but I did about 3 hours and I only logged one hour. It depends on how fast I was cleaning and if my cardio was up.
  • mjkpe
    mjkpe Posts: 98 Member
    If you use a HRM it could assist you. If properly set it should tell you what extra calories you've burned other than your normal lifestyle. When I clean I am set on "kill" so I count it and usually have to change afterwards, (sorry for the TMI).
  • barbaratrollman
    barbaratrollman Posts: 317 Member
    I don't count housework as exercise. I doubt that I'm really burning many more calories doing housework than I'd be burning doing other normal activities.
  • BlitzClipz
    BlitzClipz Posts: 154 Member
    I don't count just regular housework that I do every day even though my activity level is also more sedentary. But if I'm cleaning out closets or moving furniture, and other more intense chores like that, I count it.
  • StArBeLLa87
    StArBeLLa87 Posts: 1,582 Member
    Im a student in college dont work i pace around on my feet alot and go up and down 3 flights of stairs constantly
    Oh and i use a HRM
  • ErinRibbens
    ErinRibbens Posts: 370 Member
    So...what was your reason for putting "sedentary" as your lifestyle???
  • Momjogger
    Momjogger Posts: 750 Member
    Why would you set your program at sedentary if you aren't? What are you worried about? Add in your exercise, but leave the housework out and fix your program levels.
  • StArBeLLa87
    StArBeLLa87 Posts: 1,582 Member
    Someone told me to put that me to do that a fellow MFP member so ill change it to lightly active
  • ErinRibbens
    ErinRibbens Posts: 370 Member
    Ok...well do what you want but I would fix it to say "active" and then only log true exercise. See how that works for you.

    And if all your friends are jumping off a bridge doesn't mean you have to as well.
  • Cp731
    Cp731 Posts: 3,195 Member
    Im a lazy house keeper and I aint in no rush to be cleaning all fast and hardcore, that's what sex is for
  • StArBeLLa87
    StArBeLLa87 Posts: 1,582 Member
    Ok...well do what you want but I would fix it to say "active" and then only log true exercise. See how that works for you.

    And if all your friends are jumping off a bridge doesn't mean you have to as well.

    No lol hense why im trying to get more than one persons advice
  • chelseascounter
    chelseascounter Posts: 1,283 Member
    No. I don't log it in either.
  • ImtheOnethatsCool
    ImtheOnethatsCool Posts: 212 Member
    Im a lazy house keeper and I aint in no rush to be cleaning all fast and hardcore, that's what sex is for

    Is sex really the only thing you ever talk about? It's starting to be quite pitiful.
  • Dlacenere
    Dlacenere Posts: 198 Member
    I do not personally log housework or the like as exercise, I know it can be intense but it's just part of my normal routine. I don't have a problem with those that do though.
  • Leeann1979
    Leeann1979 Posts: 1,090 Member
    Nah, housework isnt exercise. I only log things that are for the purpose of exercise. I don't clean my house to burn calories, I clean the house because its necessary.
  • ihad
    ihad Posts: 7,463 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.

    Ultimately, this is the real answer. No table is going to figure out your BMR/TDEE. You need to pick a starting point, watch what happens, and learn and adjust.
  • quirkytizzy
    quirkytizzy Posts: 4,052 Member
    Im a lazy house keeper and I aint in no rush to be cleaning all fast and hardcore, that's what sex is for

    We get it. You're horny. You want all the boys and girls to know about your boundless energy for sex and sexiness and you're such a hottie because *giggle, simper* you want sex so much that you have to bring it up in what seems like nearly every post on the boards. Because of teh sexy sexy sex stuff.

    Find a new thing.

    Puh-leese.

    tumblr_lnfxmvdbxO1qhz3hpo1_500.gif
  • lovemitch125
    lovemitch125 Posts: 257 Member
    Unless I am at the gym or on a walk/run specifically for exercise, then I do not log my every move. That is tedious and an excuse to eat more. I do not log my weight lifting or the several miles I walk every day to classes, work and the gym. It's just what I do everyday. I don't even log anymore when I am dancing and sweating for 2 hours at the bar. It's just fun but I do go over my calories a bit to justify for this, because I can feel that my body needs more energy to weight lift, walk/run and dance but I also do not want to over estimate the calories I burn. Thats counter-productive to me.
  • lovemitch125
    lovemitch125 Posts: 257 Member
    I sweat so it counts.

    I sweat laying out by the pool, does not mean it was adequate exercise.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    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!

    Nope. I've been in the garden today throwing around 50# bags of sand and soil for a few hours. I don't count any of that as work, nor the planter construction, trench digging and mixing, moving, and filling them with the 2 cubic yards of soil and compost it needed. My muscles would argue with me, but it's not exercise in my book.
  • LavenderBouquet
    LavenderBouquet Posts: 736 Member
    I only log it if it's particularly intense or unusual cleaning (such as spring cleaning, carpet cleaning, tasks you do rarely and are quite intense).
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    If you mean your MFP setting then you base it on your "work" day. If you sit at a desk in an office or at a desk as a student that would be sedentary. You would then log your exercise separately (and general housework is not exercise nor is sweating and indicator of exertion). If you are using TDEE then you would choose a level that reflects your full day of activity and you don't log any exercise because it's already been accounted for.
  • vickydubuis
    vickydubuis Posts: 59 Member
    No. Sometimes I count mowing because my mower is broken and is very hard to push so I feel like it is more intense than regular mowing, but that's it.
  • 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...


    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.

    I am eating differently. It is just logical - if you waked to work for 30mins a day and were putting on the pounds, why would you suddenly start logging that on MFP? It's a normal daily activity for your body that isn't really strenuous.

    Go ahead, eat 200extra cals from all the 'exercise; you get by washing and walking to the garbage bin. I am just trying to be helpful and logical - I have ridden to uni for 20-60mins a day (depends on how many times) and I used to log it but realised it was stupid as all I logged it for was some cheat calories. Log it for a record and just record 1 cal, and not cheat calories then you're in the clear.
  • JessHealthKick
    JessHealthKick Posts: 800 Member
    I sweat so it counts.

    I sweat laying out by the pool, does not mean it was adequate exercise.

    lol I sweat in my sleep. I must be exercising hard!
  • sarab99
    sarab99 Posts: 134 Member
    Ok...well do what you want but I would fix it to say "active" and then only log true exercise. See how that works for you.

    And if all your friends are jumping off a bridge doesn't mean you have to as well.

    No lol hense why im trying to get more than one persons advice

    I just count the things that are out of the ordinary for me, spring cleaning, maybe, regular no. Then again I don't count walking. I spend a lot of time walking for my job, school etc. so it's not something that I think is presenting enough of a challange to call it exercise.

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