Does anyone count housework as excersise?

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  • Rho_Ro
    Rho_Ro Posts: 201 Member
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    I decided to put myself down as sedentary at the start (one year ago) and any activity would therefore cause a quicker loss. It did. Then I read that you are meant to eat back your exercise cals, so I started putting the bigger household chores as exercise, eg cooking in the kitchen for a couple of hours; vacuuming the floor; washing the vinyl floor; moving furniture, etc and I would take a big hunk off the time I actually worked. It has worked well for me.

    At the end of the day it's up to you how you interpret the guidelines to this site. I don't believe there is really any hard and fast rule, do what works for you. At one point I put my activity up on MFP and I lost my way. I am back down to sedentary.

    GOOD LUCK!!!!
  • I_Will_End_You
    I_Will_End_You Posts: 4,397 Member
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    Sometimes I do. It depends on how much cleaning and what I'm doing. If I really clean the **** out of my house, closets, basement, throwing stuff out, going back and forth to the dumpster, then sweep, dustmop and regular mop my floors...yes. My floors are huge. I feel like I worked out after I deep clean, so why not? Regular daily cleaning (dishes, sweeping, dusting) I do not count.
  • sarahmonsta
    sarahmonsta Posts: 185 Member
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    Sometimes I do, especially if I did a lot of working out already that day...for some reason it just makes me feel better about myself hahah.
  • MizTerry
    MizTerry Posts: 3,763 Member
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    If I'm scrubbing, you betcha! Every other week I spend a couple of hours cleaning my Moms place. It counts.
  • JanaCanada
    JanaCanada Posts: 917 Member
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    I used to log every breath I took....lol...including housework. But I discovered that I over estimated. A lot. And it didn't do me any good at all because I was eating back calories I hadn't really burned! :grumble:

    So now, I only log INTENTIONAL exercise, i.e, going to the gym, swimming, riding my bike, etc. Housework calories are now just bonus calories burned. Since I started logging this way, I have lost more weight, and faster, too. :drinker:
  • spider_mark51959
    spider_mark51959 Posts: 2,826 Member
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    I myself probably would not count it. But I definitely would count various yard work like mowing, spreading mulch, raking/dumping yard waste etc.
  • ThinUpGirl
    ThinUpGirl Posts: 397
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    No. I don't need an excuse to eat more.
  • StinkyWinkies
    StinkyWinkies Posts: 603 Member
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    I do.

    For several reasons. 1) 'sedentary' is a base line for my caloric intake 2) It was how I learned to 'count' with another weight loss group 3) I am not laying around on a couch or bed and my doc says this is a good thing. 4) Is "proof" that I am moving around.

    Generally speaking though, I don't "eat back" housework calories, depends on the chores I've done or for how long.
  • pinkraynedropjacki
    pinkraynedropjacki Posts: 3,027 Member
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    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.

    That means don't log ANY walking either cause you walk as part of your normal day. If you hang the washing like I do, then you get way more than just 200 cals a day extra. Try closer to 400 easily & that's just the washing. Then do all the other housework like I do & that's at least an extra 200. I don't log it because I know what people would think & unless they KNOW how I'm doing it then they will think I'm lying. Walking to the bin though? Takes all of 2 seconds so not even 1 cal gone. If you rode each day as much as you said then it's classed as exercise, regardless if you did it before or not. It's still exercise. Anything ABOVE doing NOTHING is some form of exercise.


    BTW I walk about 30km a day at least, nice even walk, nice pace. Because it's not strenuous I guess it's not exercise...... even though I never walked that far at all when I was fat. Oh well, guess then those extra 1000 calories I burn off each day wont count.
  • Robin_Bin
    Robin_Bin Posts: 1,046 Member
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    BTW I walk about 30km a day at least, nice even walk, nice pace. Because it's not strenuous I guess it's not exercise...... even though I never walked that far at all when I was fat. Oh well, guess then those extra 1000 calories I burn off each day wont count.
    30 kilometers / day ???
    That's over 18 miles each day or roughly 40,000 steps. It's definitely exercise.
  • norcal_yogi
    norcal_yogi Posts: 675 Member
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    no
  • Warchortle
    Warchortle Posts: 2,197 Member
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    I think if you have to ask... I don't think anyone has asked if running 5 miles counts as exercise.
  • oX_Vanessa_Xo
    oX_Vanessa_Xo Posts: 478
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    I only log if its vigorous cleaning, like spring cleaning time now. And only if its longer than an hour straight.
    And I'm talking heavy scrubbing, vacuuming all the stairs, washing walls, pulling out the fridge, stove, making numerous trips taking large bags of garbage behind the complex ect..,

    Everyday things like laundry, sweeping, mopping, dishes ect... no
  • StArBeLLa87
    StArBeLLa87 Posts: 1,582 Member
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    I don't count it I just was curious! I changed my setting to active! Ty to those that were kind and honest when giving me advice! :flowerforyou:
  • ThatDamnRobyn
    ThatDamnRobyn Posts: 47 Member
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    I do. I don't clean very often and when I do, it's really hard work! ;)
    I usually do it in place of a workout, and I usually do it for 3 hours or so, so I think it counts as extra calorie burn just like exercise. Especially if it's really heavy cleaning.
  • crnacrn07
    crnacrn07 Posts: 10 Member
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    I count it. Especially when I break a sweat while doing it. :)
  • Mashizou
    Mashizou Posts: 28 Member
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    I used to, but I started to feel like I was cheating myself. Now I don't record a workout unless its over 20 minutes in length and I can't sing along to my iPod.
  • lollypop114
    lollypop114 Posts: 31
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    I've been covering a friends jobs cleaning one day a week all day so I log that, but not my own housework no!
  • krhn
    krhn Posts: 781 Member
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    If that's the case then yes! Log everything you do in :wink:
  • ngressman
    ngressman Posts: 229 Member
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    If I am cleaning like a mad dog, then yes I count it. I don't count normal everyday cleaning though. I guess you could count it, but if you start gaining weight then quit counting it. Weight loss is a learning process.

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