House Cleaning count as Exercise?

24

Replies

  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    I always work up a sweat while cleaning. So, as an experiment, I decided to wear my HRM while cleaning one day. Turns out I actually burned more calories than MFP estimates. So, to me, it is a form of exercise. I may not always log it, but I consider it to be a calorie burning activity.

    A HRM isn't meant to be worn that way and will give you wildly exaggerated numbers. Mine will tell me I burn over 150 calories sitting on my *kitten* watching TV which I know for a fact is not true.

    Hey - you shoud log that 150 calories burnt. Your eyes were watching the tv so they were expending energy and hence, you were burning calories. Don't sell yourself short..

    I think I burned 50 cals responded to this thread..I am going to log that too! log log log all day long, gonna log my cals while I sing this song..
  • xLexa
    xLexa Posts: 482 Member
    Yesterday I strapped on my HRM while I was cleaning just actually out of curiosity - deep cleaning, washing walls, doors, scrubbing tiles. I actually burned the exact same in 40 minutes of that as I would in 40 minutes of brisk walking. Did I log it? Yes I did because it is not something I do every day, would I log picking up toys or washing dishes? No.
  • Annerk1
    Annerk1 Posts: 372 Member
    It depends. Running a dust rag, cleaning a toilet, or loading the dishwasher, no. Doing heavy scrubbing, vacuuming the entire house, cleaning carpets, scrubbing floors, scrubbing baseboards on my hands and knees, I count it.

    I washed my car yesterday and had to scrub the heck out of it to get the love bugs off, I put in for 15 minutes of heavy cleaning--although I was working on it for 45 minutes, half of it was just normal washing and hosing, not scrubbing.
  • bobbinseed
    bobbinseed Posts: 39 Member
    I only count it if I spend longer than 20 minutes doing it, especially if I am sweeping and mopping. I do not however count washing dishes or the swapping of laundry from washer to dryer, maybe if I hang things out on the line. I sure count when I clean out the chicken coop though bc it isn't an everyday activity.
  • Kimdbro
    Kimdbro Posts: 922 Member
    This is the age old debate on MFP. It gets people all worked up, too.

    Personally, I don't log it because it is a part of my normal daily activity. I would consider logging it if it was deep, seasonal clean and I was scaling ladders and such. It also depends on your setting - sedentary, lightly active, etc.

    ^^I agree^^ It's a pretty normal thing to be doing as part of your life... unless it's the major seasonal overhaul. It's the same debate as sex IMHO... if you never ever have sex and you suddenly have one earth shattering 2 hour marathon, then ok log it, but hopefully sex is a normal, relatively regular occurence (likely not 2 hour earth shattering marathon :ohwell: ) and thusly then logging it is moot.
  • missmegan831
    missmegan831 Posts: 824 Member
    I think if you are not sweating for longer than 60 mins it doesnt count... but to each their own I suppose, I know people that log cooking dinner, grocery shopping, even taking a shower as exercise!!!
  • JT_Taylor_99
    JT_Taylor_99 Posts: 72
    just because your not working to the level of that Insanity workout doesn't mean that it is not excercise. That being said, I don't think that standing at the sink washing dishes counts, but I do count putting laundry away. Let me explain, I put one thing on a hanger and walk from the laundry room all the way to my bedroom closet and then back. I do each garment separately. I consistantly stay in motion. I also count vacuuming, gardening, and occasional cooking experiences. Anything that gets you up and moving should count, IMO. But, I do sit at a desk for 9 hrs and a car for 1 hour on weekdays so I am very sedentary.

    This is the worst example ever. By this reasoning, I should count waking up and getting out of bed in the morning because it "gets me up and moving" You are moving your hands in a circular motion and that expends calories because you are, well moving...

    The force is to strong in this one...I must reply ^^^^^ this, Breathing burns calories do you count it? I think there at two types of people on MFP, those who workout hard and are proud of their efforts and those who will claim any movement as a calorie burn. If you didn't lose weight doing those things before MFP why in the world would you think it is going to help you now?
  • JanaCanada
    JanaCanada Posts: 917 Member
    If it makes you sweat, then it's aerobic and it counts. If not, I don't count it.

    Either way, MFP calulations for housework calories burned are waaay off, so if you're gonna log it, user a fitbit or something similar for more accuracy.
  • chineyLuv
    chineyLuv Posts: 130 Member
    I dont count it as exercise.
    I figured that if I'm burning a few extra calories by doing it, than good on me.
  • RmYWarrioR
    RmYWarrioR Posts: 36 Member
    I look at it this way. If you are manually srcubbing tile floors, washing windows (up and down a ladder), manually washing walls then, YES. We live in old Navy housing and have tile floors throughout the house, I work up a considerable sweat scrubbing the white tile floors weekly and log it as such. My HR is in my training zone and I add it in with the Insanity, Running, HI IT and Weight Training I do weekly. I don't agree things like sitting and watching tv while folding clothes or towels as exercise though.
  • MyOwnSunshine
    MyOwnSunshine Posts: 1,312 Member
    I log it if I am doing a lot of heavy-duty cleaning like sweeping/mopping/vacuuming all floors in the house, or cleaning all 3 bathrooms thoroughly. When I log it, I only log 1/4 to 1/2 of the time I spent, because MFP grossly exaggerates all exercise calories.

    I do not log quick, easy day-to-day cleaning, nor do I log cooking.

    I have a few friends who log cooking and even driving. (!?!)
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  • SoViLicious
    SoViLicious Posts: 2,633 Member
    I don't log it. I use to do it before I started losing weight....
  • MizTerry
    MizTerry Posts: 3,763 Member
    When I go to clean, I don't just wave a feather duster over stuff...I'm a scrubbing freak, so yeah, I count it.
  • bearkisses
    bearkisses Posts: 1,252 Member
    i love how this is posted about everyday

    i love saying "NOPE!"
  • EmilyOfTheSun
    EmilyOfTheSun Posts: 1,548 Member
    I think it mainly depends on how you have your settings.

    If you have your MFP set up with a "sedentary lifestyle", you may be OK logging cleaning as a workout.

    If you have it set up as...(crap, I forgot how they exactly have it worded for the next option up), "Light Activity", and that's based on the fact that you work a desk job and do chores at home...then no, in that case, I would not log it because it's already included in your calories.
  • drvvork
    drvvork Posts: 1,162
    I'm set at sedentary, I log the house cleaning - I'm packing to move so there is much scrubbing, hoisting, lugging and down right elbow grease. I earn those 90 calories for 1/2 hour. Especially when I work at it for 2 hours straight. JMO
  • SunshineCharm
    SunshineCharm Posts: 15
    It's all about keeping your heart rate elevated.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    just because your not working to the level of that Insanity workout doesn't mean that it is not excercise. That being said, I don't think that standing at the sink washing dishes counts, but I do count putting laundry away. Let me explain, I put one thing on a hanger and walk from the laundry room all the way to my bedroom closet and then back. I do each garment separately. I consistantly stay in motion. I also count vacuuming, gardening, and occasional cooking experiences. Anything that gets you up and moving should count, IMO. But, I do sit at a desk for 9 hrs and a car for 1 hour on weekdays so I am very sedentary.

    This is the worst example ever. By this reasoning, I should count waking up and getting out of bed in the morning because it "gets me up and moving" You are moving your hands in a circular motion and that expends calories because you are, well moving...

    The force is to strong in this one...I must reply ^^^^^ this, Breathing burns calories do you count it? I think there at two types of people on MFP, those who workout hard and are proud of their efforts and those who will claim any movement as a calorie burn. If you didn't lose weight doing those things before MFP why in the world would you think it is going to help you now?

    my new exercise program is going to be - clean your way and wash dishes to fat loss in 60 days or your money back ...
  • LadyBeryl
    LadyBeryl Posts: 344 Member
    This question come up over and over. Everyone is different so there is no "right" answer for anyone.

    I have a cleaning lady (thank God) and if I do what SHE does, I count it. Otherwise, I don't count the regular upkeep. This works for ME but it may not work for another person.
  • meagank28
    meagank28 Posts: 52
    When my weight gain happened, I was sick and couldn't get up to clean. Now that I am doing some better, I joined MFP, and I log my cleaning. I use a HRM and when I clean I dance and move quickly. I don't just pick things up and run a rag over my counters. :) I like to scrub my house. I vacuum every carpeted room twice(dog hair) and I sweep/scrub/mop my tile. My two bathrooms get scrubbed also.
    Since I do work up a sweat and get my heart rate up I count it. It depends what you call 'cleaning' .
  • meagank28
    meagank28 Posts: 52
    Forgot to mention I am a house wife, and can't stand dirt!
  • AmberLee2012
    AmberLee2012 Posts: 540
    I normally don't count it. If I'm scrubbing walls or floors and working up a sweat, I might.
  • girlfromOklahoma
    girlfromOklahoma Posts: 129 Member
    No. I consider exercise to be exercise.

    If you work up a big sweat doing some major house cleaning, just consider it a bonus.

    ITA! If you do burn some extra calories cleaning, just consider it a bonus... but don't log it.
  • tootchute
    tootchute Posts: 392 Member
    You could always strap a heart monitor / calorie counter on while you're clean and see.
  • Alison12121
    Alison12121 Posts: 198 Member
    I don't normally count it. I would only count it if I was cleaning to move out of an apartment.
  • bongochick45
    bongochick45 Posts: 130 Member
    I log it if I'm doing a big day of cleaning. If I sweat, bend and lift that's exercise. Am I counting washing dishes, or sweeping up the floor? No. But my spring cleaning, or when I turn my soil and plant my veggies, or paint the house. Hell yea! But once again those are special occassions not every day things.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    I log it if I'm doing a big day of cleaning. If I sweat, bend and lift that's exercise. Am I counting washing dishes, or sweeping up the floor? No. But my spring cleaning, or when I turn my soil and plant my veggies, or paint the house. Hell yea! But once again those are special occassions not every day things.

    so if you walk outside in the summer and sweat do you log that?
  • sunshyncatra
    sunshyncatra Posts: 598 Member
    I count it if it is outside my normal activity level. Doing dishes or the laundry: no. Picking up the house, going up and down stairs, deep cleaning: yes. I also tend to put some extra physical effort into it if I am going to count it as exercise.
  • Annerk1
    Annerk1 Posts: 372 Member
    so if you walk outside in the summer and sweat do you log that?

    I powerwalk outside in the summer. i sweat. I log it. Are you saying that I shouldn't log 600 calories worked off?

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