Does anyone count housework as excersise?

Logging anything other than actual legitimate exercise as exercise leads to improper understanding of how the site's system is supposed to work. As a general rule of thumb you shouldn't log anything you didn't have to change into your training/running shoes for (unless you exercise barefoot of course) as exercise.

In my experience, anything based on a lie is going to have faulty results. Be honest with yourself and others, including MFO.
On a side note, I don't count normal daily cleaning, but if I am doing extra work that only gets done once or twice a year and I get my heart pumping for more than 10 minutes I will count those 10 minutes or so. I won't count my entire time cleaning though.

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.

um so you say you never walked like that before?.. 30km is about 6 hours straight of walking a day. That surprises me a little but I'll trust you on that, nice work! But that is my point - if you didn't do it AT ALL before and are starting to do it NOW then then yes I think you should log it. Anyway I'm not really trying to start an argument - I honestly want what is best for other MFP users.

Yep my Fitbit stats dont lie. People on my friends list know how much I do each day. I'm very very active even when sick. I walked 23km to get some mascara, took me 5 hours. I didn't stop once. I do over 20,000 steps a day...that's my minimum I've set.


Thing is though..... I walked before I got here on MFP early last year...not as much but I did, so that means going by others I should not count my walking still cause it's what I did before.

Same as housework. Daily done, but I do it different now so I DO get a workout from it. PLace your washing basket as far from the line as possible. Then take a long route to the line, with only ONE item at a time. One sock, then back to basket empty handed, another sock..... take the longest way to the line you can. It'll take you ages to do it, but you are walking while doing it. I rack up about 5000-6000 steps doing a full basket.

well I don't think the OP is doing 5000 steps putting out washing... you are in a special situation here doing what you do. I was trying to talk about the general population who puts out washing in 10 minutes. I am not digging what YOU do, but obviously it is unique and not really logical then to assume others get the same kind of work out that you do.

I never said you shouldn't log walking. Please read what I said - you may have walked a little before, and if you are walking now then YES log the extra walking!

For goodness sakes, I give up on trying to be coherent on MFP/internet in general. Everything is always so skewed and illogical

yep.

I definitely can work up a sweat cleaning. Especially when it's the days that I mop the floors, wash windows, vacuum stairs, do and put away laundry, etc. BUT, i don't log it as exercise. It's part of every day life. Just like walking my dogs. I don't log that either(unless it is when I take them for a hike, than I log that). I did these things when I was obese and it didn't contribute to any weight loss, so that is why I don't log it now. It's just part of my daily routine.

Depending on if it "feels" like I am working out yes. A vaccum/mopping/shaking rug day can get pretty intense If anything I will log it just to see how much it helps to be productive and not just sitting on the couch. Makes me want to move more, two birds with one stone!

I have mine set as sedentary too. The calories needed is based on calories burned doing nothing. So I absolutely count house cleaning! If I find myself standing all day more than usual, I count that too. There is a website other than this one that includes almost everything on how many calories are burned during certain activities. It' s easier for me to keep track of how much to eat. If I have an off day or easy day at home, I don't want to overeat. So I understand why you set it that way. I only eat my calories back if I feel weak or extra hungry though...

I think if you have to ask... I don't think anyone has asked if running 5 miles counts as exercise.

LOL!!!! This ^^^

I would say that the activity level being accurate is the first big thing. I see that you've said you changed those settings. Secondly I would say that if you're going to rely on MFP to set your calorie goals then you should take into account everything you do REGULARLY that is not INTENTIONAL exercise and use that to determine what your actual activity level is. There's no guarantee, but if you use the most accurate and honest information to start with, it's at least a good place to start. Lastly, I would say that intentional exercise would be something you do specifically to improve your fitness level through a workout; whether it be low intensity like yoga or walking, or high intensity like running or heavy lifting. With all of that being said you have to be true and honest to yourself and not worry so much about what other people do/say. If you feel like you've gotten a workout in then log it, if you don't then don't. I don't log housework, but I'm in the process of completely gutting and renovating my basement and garage and I am counting that activity per my HRM because I am doing intense labor & lifting and it is providing a workout.

**edited to add: I do basically agree with the theory that since cleaning didn't help me reach any of my health/fitness goals before there's no logical reason it would now. Meaning I'm not going to take credit for cleaning my house when I've always done it, and I'm certainly not going to eat additional calories for doing it. Whether or not I do certain things "more intensely" while completing my chores or not it's still not exercise IMO. I also park at the end of the parking lot to walk further to the market and so forth, I don't count that as exercise either... Lots of different rules of thumb you've gotten on this post...

I don't log my house work to begin with even though it consist going up and down 3 flights of stars ! Never stated I did.

People can be rude! I don't think it matters what you did before you started logging. You have it set at sedentary. That means that anything you do other than sit or lay down can be counted. Good Luck Girl! If you notice yourself gaining weight then you know what to do...right? What's with the rude people anyway...Unless I'm taking it wrong...Just so you know, I lost 25lbs before doing it this way..I since went through some things and lost sight of my goals but now I'm back to do it again! Feel free to add me if you want...

So people giving their opinions to the question asked is "rude"...

...but you calling out other people for your interpretation of their responses isn't?

Interesting. Very interesting.

yes and no... on a daily basis i dont BUT once- twice a week i do a top to bottom clean that takes 3-4 hours . i usually end up hot tired and sweaty and on those days i chart anwhere from 1-2 hours.. i only chart half of the time i spent and i chart it as slow pace.. when you think about it, heck yeah its a work out! your moving and lifting heavy clothes hampers and mop bucket from place to place. moving junk, tables, & couches while sweeping, vacuuming, and mopping ( sometimes scrubbing) the floors. you move from on your knees to on your toes, from standing to walking to walking fast to get things done quickly from one room to another. i definitely feel like i get a workout when i clean from top to bottom about once or twice a week.