house cleaning not exercise?

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fakeuntilumakeit
fakeuntilumakeit Posts: 77
in Food and Nutrition
Hi,

Having read a few post debates I've come across mixed reviews of this. This site logs housework as exercise (I for one logged mine when I was eager for that choc bar and desperate to eat back calories 1200 pre exercise was making me weak,) . However many views are that this should not be counted. I am a stay at home mum of three busy kids. Running around all day after teenager and toddlers is knackering and I know that after a good blast of the house I feel ravenous.

So lets have it from you guys, an hours session in the gym classed as a high calorie burn, right? but why not consider an hour of scrubbing bathrooms, hovering, floor mopping, window cleaning, wall wiping, toys gathering, toddler lifting, washing, carrying, bedmaking, pillow puffing cleaning machine as active.?

Okay, so I haven't got the abs like some, but I can tell you one thing it makes me hungry, and I know that i'm lighter than hubby who lets say carefully (does not participate in as much household duties)

I do work out min 4/5 times a week also just curious to know others opinions. :happy:
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Replies

  • JusticeGirl25
    JusticeGirl25 Posts: 703 Member
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    If you're sweating while cleaning your house, I'd consider that a nice workout.
  • JenMc14
    JenMc14 Posts: 2,389 Member
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    I don't count it because every day housecleaning is usually included in your intake calculations. If you do an extra heavy cleaning, like really, really heavy, I suppose it would be ok, but I wouldn't do it regularly. I've seen people look at it this way, and it makes a lot of sense to me: Before you were losing weight, when you were overweight, was it an activity you were doing? If so, why count it now?
  • watchhillgirl
    watchhillgirl Posts: 597 Member
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    Since I don't do any housework or yard work, I would classify as exercise.
    (my husband does all the cooking, cleaning and stuff....I know - lucky huh?)
  • CandiQueen
    CandiQueen Posts: 57
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    As a busy mom of only 2 I can say, YES, it is most definitely a workout!! Running up and down the stairs with laundry, picking up 5x a day, making meals, cleaning kitchen, dusting, gardening, maintaining the house in general all gets the heart rate going and anything that elevates the heart rate burn calories. If you feel like you're working out, chances are you are.
  • melindasuefritz
    melindasuefritz Posts: 3,509 Member
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    yes its in there ...................... click exercise- cardio
    type in cleaning. select heavy or light and log your cleaning
  • melindasuefritz
    melindasuefritz Posts: 3,509 Member
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    yes cleaning is exercise
  • duckiec
    duckiec Posts: 241 Member
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    I don't personally tend to count shopping, laundry, chasing kids, etc as exercise. But, I recently got a Fitbit (flex), which gives me a "calories burned" estimate daily. That might be a useful too for activity like this, where it's not "dedicated" working out, but still means you're burning more calories, and can make room for some extras.
  • askeates
    askeates Posts: 1,490 Member
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    There are only a couple of things that include for house work exercise.

    Vacuuming (I do the entire house at one time, that includes lugging the vacuum up and down 3 stories), and always break out in a sweat and have an elevated heart rate for at least 20 minutes (vacuuming is usually an hour or more). I do only put it as moderate.

    Cleaning the kitchen floor. Again, I break out in a sweat and have an elevated heart rate for 20 minutes or more.

    If I do not break out in a sweat and have an elevated heart rate for at least 20 minutes then I do not include it.
  • ladyraven68
    ladyraven68 Posts: 2,003 Member
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    Hi,

    Having read a few post debates I've come across mixed reviews of this. This site logs housework as exercise (I for one logged mine when I was eager for that choc bar and desperate to eat back calories 1200 pre exercise was making me weak,) . However many views are that this should not be counted. I am a stay at home mum of three busy kids. Running around all day after teenager and toddlers is knackering and I know that after a good blast of the house I feel ravenous.

    So lets have it from you guys, an hours session in the gym classed as a high calorie burn, right? but why not consider an hour of scrubbing bathrooms, hovering, floor mopping, window cleaning, wall wiping, toys gathering, toddler lifting, washing, carrying, bedmaking, pillow puffing cleaning machine as active.?

    Okay, so I haven't got the abs like some, but I can tell you one thing it makes me hungry, and I know that i'm lighter than hubby who lets say carefully (does not participate in as much household duties)

    I do work out min 4/5 times a week also just curious to know others opinions. :happy:

    I'd just up your activity level to a more active one - no stay at home mum is sedentary.
  • lightdiva1
    lightdiva1 Posts: 935 Member
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    If I break a sweat, and my heart rate is up for more than 10 minutes, its a work out. I do not log house work as a work out because I do not get my heart rate up. ( I do break a sweat) I am not breathing like I do when I take Zumba or go for a speed walk. If I did I would log it.

    I do not need to "add" in extra calories. If I am hungry, I eat. If I don't have the calories for it, I go over. I have friends who swear by adding in house cleaning as working out. Sure scrubbing bathrooms and doing laundry and chasing kids is a work out, but its not aerobic. It isn't strength training, and it sure as hell is not cardio.
  • scribega
    scribega Posts: 159 Member
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    Since my MFP is set at sedentary because I have a desk job Mon-Fri then I count it.
    If I do 5 mins of laundry then I don't count it, but if I do 30+ mins of laundry, dishes, cleaning, etc then I count it. I am burning more calories then if I was sitting at a desk.

    I spent 3 hours this past weekend taking a bed apart and then putting it back together. You bet I counted it!
  • Bianca42
    Bianca42 Posts: 310 Member
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    I seriously considered logging grocery shopping this week. Half-way through the store the 8 year old ran the cart into the 3 year old and then I got the pleasure of carrying a upset 3 year old for the remainder of my shopping trip.

    I usually don't log cleaning, because I tend to do little bits at a time. I have logged major yard clean-ups though.
  • jordanlell
    jordanlell Posts: 340 Member
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    I don't count it. That's what the activity level settings are for. If you are cleaning your house on a regular basis (which I hope most people do) then you should have your settings set to at least "lightly active", possibly "active". The sedentary level is for if you're sitting on your butt all day.
  • SakuraRose13
    SakuraRose13 Posts: 621 Member
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    Well Im a sahm and beleive me I clean everyday and I do break a sweat ,when I clean I clean as in moving furniture sometimes,dishes,hauling laundry and up and down 2 flights of stairs, there are 4 of us so a lot of laundry,scrubbing floors,cleaning bathroom I hate clutter and cleaning up after everyone always .

    If that isnt a workout than why Im a I tired afterwards ?
    of and chasing my daughters around they are 14 months and going on 3 they keep me on my feet for sure.

    Just because Im a sahm doenst mean I sit on my tush all day are you kidding me, I hardly sit down at all most days except for now since one is napping.
  • Joreanasaurous
    Joreanasaurous Posts: 1,384 Member
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    I don't. But I also set MFP as "active" so me cleaning and running around work hauling boxes all day every day is already counted into my calorie allotment for the day.

    Additionally, this is just me, but if my heart rate isn't elevated for at least 20 minutes, then it isn't excerising, it is life. Like chasing my dog down the street after he made the great escape.
  • SakuraRose13
    SakuraRose13 Posts: 621 Member
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    Hi,

    Having read a few post debates I've come across mixed reviews of this. This site logs housework as exercise (I for one logged mine when I was eager for that choc bar and desperate to eat back calories 1200 pre exercise was making me weak,) . However many views are that this should not be counted. I am a stay at home mum of three busy kids. Running around all day after teenager and toddlers is knackering and I know that after a good blast of the house I feel ravenous.

    So lets have it from you guys, an hours session in the gym classed as a high calorie burn, right? but why not consider an hour of scrubbing bathrooms, hovering, floor mopping, window cleaning, wall wiping, toys gathering, toddler lifting, washing, carrying, bedmaking, pillow puffing cleaning machine as active.?

    Okay, so I haven't got the abs like some, but I can tell you one thing it makes me hungry, and I know that i'm lighter than hubby who lets say carefully (does not participate in as much household duties)

    I do work out min 4/5 times a week also just curious to know others opinions. :happy:

    I'd just up your activity level to a more active one - no stay at home mum is sedentary.



    This up above !!
  • fakeuntilumakeit
    fakeuntilumakeit Posts: 77
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    I don't count it because every day housecleaning is usually included in your intake calculations. If you do an extra heavy cleaning, like really, really heavy, I suppose it would be ok, but I wouldn't do it regularly. I've seen people look at it this way, and it makes a lot of sense to me: Before you were losing weight, when you were overweight, was it an activity you were doing? If so, why count it now?




    Is house cleaning counted as everyday activity? I should let my husband know that he should be doing this ha ha.

    Well In answer to your question, I was never overweight, I was within my bmi, 5ft 7 and just under 11 stone. But just felt heavier and comments from my father saying I was "yuk fat and still looked pregnant" sparked me to do something as I never really lost the pounds after my 2 daughters were born.

    Pre babies I worked in an office, so spent far less time doing household stuff, and to be honest the house stayed clean with no toddlers running around it. Plus I never had school walks etc, just car drop off for eldest. Just found that physically I would say I do more now running around with kids, but am guilty of maybe not feeling the need to immediately drop the pregnancy pounds.

    Do I sweat, no, do I feel the need to take a layer off , yes. Do I rush around ....Yes! Am I knackered after a full day 6am until 8pm , most definitely. :laugh:
  • bearkisses
    bearkisses Posts: 1,252 Member
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    no. you got fat when you were cleaning. cleaning isn't going to help you lose that weight!
  • jqh23
    jqh23 Posts: 311 Member
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    I seriously considered logging grocery shopping this week. Half-way through the store the 8 year old ran the cart into the 3 year old and then I got the pleasure of carrying a upset 3 year old for the remainder of my shopping trip.

    I usually don't log cleaning, because I tend to do little bits at a time. I have logged major yard clean-ups though.
    walking while carrying child is a legit exercise input, lol!
  • HatherM
    HatherM Posts: 404 Member
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    General everyday house cleaning I don't count, but once a month I do a full on clean moving all the furniture, etc & having a good old clean (usually takes about 2hours) & non-stop moving so I count these as it's not the everyday 'norm' plus I do walk & JMBR on top of that so it's usually a pretty full on day :smile:

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