House Cleaning count as Exercise?

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Replies

  • barbaratrollman
    barbaratrollman Posts: 317 Member
    I only log cleaning chores if they were pretty big jobs that were more lengthy strenuous activities than usual, daily cleaning tasks.

    I keep my activity level set at sedentary, because my daily activities vary so much from day to day. Then, if I've done much more activity than would be considered sedentary, I may add it into my Exercise diary.
  • Flab2fitfi
    Flab2fitfi Posts: 1,349 Member
    i dont log it but my fitbit picks up when I have a more active day cleaning. However if I was strip cleaning a room maybe then I would consider logging it.

    Someone said we were always cleaning even when we were over weight but I know the amount i do has increased as the weight has decreased. partly as I have more energy/ physically able to do it and partly just to get my daily steps in.
  • ZealousMissJJ
    ZealousMissJJ Posts: 454 Member
    No, I don't log cleaning as exercize. I think there's a too fine line between how hard someone is working up a sweat cleaning. I see some friends logging cleaning as ONLY exercise (that and walking dog), and to be honest I hear them a lot about not losing weight.

    I run, do crossfit and lift heavy weights. However I try, cleaning my house would never burn the same amount of calories (if only it were that simple)..

    To each his own, but I wouldn't log cleaning (or gardening or walking your dog for 20 minutes) as exercise. It's too grey of an area for me as far as calorie burning goes.
  • tlorance100
    tlorance100 Posts: 18
    I don't log anything that's part of my normal daily routine, but I do log the extra stuff. Right now I've been tearing apart room by room, patching nail holes, sanding, painting, rehanging all the pictures on the wall, moving furniture and cleaning out clutter. I've even emptied out closets to paint inside them! Boxes and boxes have been packed up, tossed in the truck and brought to goodwill. I certainly think that all counts as exercise.

    I know someone mentioned dog walking. I have been logging that, too. I have a Saint Bernard puppy who requires way more exercise than my Peke-a-poo does. I log his walks, but not hers. (And he doesn't stop every 3 yards to sniff like she does, LOL.)
  • Josalinn
    Josalinn Posts: 1,066 Member
    When I got out the BigGreen Clean Machine to do carpets, you better believe I logged that as exercise. I was so sore and tired after doing the carpets!
  • Skratchie
    Skratchie Posts: 131 Member
    Since I don't regularly clean house - my husband works from home and does most of the housework, and we have someone come in and clean for us; teen boys clean the kitchen four nights a week - and my activity level is set to sedentary, if I do quite a bit of cleaning on the weekend, I count it. If I were home everyday and I did housework every day I wouldn't, but usually when I clean, it's a deep clean - I do a deep clean every Saturday morning on the kitchen (I mean, come on, TEEN BOYS clean it four nights a week!) and spend a couple hours between cleaning all the appliances, countertops, and floors to my satisfaction. And I do a fairly deep clean on each of the three bathrooms every weekend (everyone is responsible for cleaning up after themselves daily, but I do the toilets, floors and tubs on the weekend). I also usually vacuum the stairs once a week and on occasion, I will do some other housework. But for the most part, the day to day stuff is handled by other family members.

    Doesn't matter to me what others might think about my logging it; I don't consider it part of my daily routine, so I log what I do when I do it. :-)
  • SoVeracious
    SoVeracious Posts: 17 Member
    I only count it when I am doing deep/spring cleaning. Normal everyday cleaning activity I don't count.
  • Annerk1
    Annerk1 Posts: 372 Member
    I think it's a joke logging cleaning. Pretty sure we didn't just start cleaning when we.decided to eat right and exercise. And then I see people log "cleaning calories" and then turn around and eat those "earned" calories. They are not doing themselves any favors by doing this.

    For years my son has handled all the vacuuming. Because it's good exercise I've recently taken that chore over. It takes me a full hour to properly vacuum the entire house--meaning moving furniture, getting into the many corners with a crevice tool, etc. I definitely work up a sweat doing it. So yes, I count it.
  • Annerk1
    Annerk1 Posts: 372 Member

    I would count power walking as exercise so go ahead and log it...

    Thank you for your permission. :huh:
  • Annerk1
    Annerk1 Posts: 372 Member
    I think it also depends on how big your house is. Sure, cleaning an 600 s/f apartment might not really burn enough calories to make much of a difference, but cleaning a 3000 s/f house sure does.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    Oh goodness.

    These threads always become a snarkfest.

    That being said...if you're logging it, eating those cals back and it works? Good for you. If it doesn't? Re-evaluate. What one person considers exercise another may not. That's the lovely thing about being different people taking this journey. :flowerforyou:

    Not quite sure how it is a 'snark fest" the OP asked for opinions on logging cleaning and got them...
  • apickles1978
    apickles1978 Posts: 8
    this is why I wear a BodyMedia band. I only count the total calories burned and consumed. When I am cleaning and doing laundry, I burn a lot actually. I do it with intensity, run up and down stairs. squat to pick up things...
  • ahviendha
    ahviendha Posts: 1,291 Member
    i wouldn't count it. i count "exercise", not chores.
  • AbigailClarke48
    AbigailClarke48 Posts: 35
    Interesting thought - I noticed that even after all this time, MFP does not have it as an excercise. Maybe you could count it as a slow walk. (2.0) When I spend a couple hours at the mall, I usually divide the time in 1/2 and count that as a slow walk, for example. Not much, but it's definitely something.
  • Annerk1
    Annerk1 Posts: 372 Member
    Interesting thought - I noticed that even after all this time, MFP does not have it as an excercise. Maybe you could count it as a slow walk. (2.0) When I spend a couple hours at the mall, I usually divide the time in 1/2 and count that as a slow walk, for example. Not much, but it's definitely something.

    Sure MFP has it as exercise.
  • AbigailClarke48
    AbigailClarke48 Posts: 35
    Interesting thought - I noticed that even after all this time, MFP does not have it as an excercise. Maybe you could count it as a slow walk. (2.0) When I spend a couple hours at the mall, I usually divide the time in 1/2 and count that as a slow walk, for example. Not much, but it's definitely something.

    Sure MFP has it as exercise.

    Oh! Never noticed!
  • AbigailClarke48
    AbigailClarke48 Posts: 35
    Also - whether you log it or not - it's certainly good for you to be moving around!
  • smnassise
    smnassise Posts: 22 Member
    Yes, moving is moving.
  • newdaydawning79
    newdaydawning79 Posts: 1,503 Member
    Oh goodness.

    These threads always become a snarkfest.

    That being said...if you're logging it, eating those cals back and it works? Good for you. If it doesn't? Re-evaluate. What one person considers exercise another may not. That's the lovely thing about being different people taking this journey. :flowerforyou:

    Not quite sure how it is a 'snark fest" the OP asked for opinions on logging cleaning and got them...

    I didn't say this particular one was. If you go back and look at other threads with the same topic, it always gets snarky and rude. This one has actually been quite calm so far.
  • cocoloco122
    cocoloco122 Posts: 7 Member
    If you expend energy you are burning calories.... yes, even breathing burns calories :)
    It IS listed on MFP as exercise.
  • millifred2
    millifred2 Posts: 3
    I would say yes when it is deep cleaning such as I did today. Also, it depends on the person and their normal activity level. For some of us with health problems such as rheumatoid arthritis it is a big effort to do big cleaning jobs and we can't do workout type exercises. I also like to do gardening as exercise as it is useful as well as raising my heart rate , etc. If this is a lifestyle change that is going to last I am not going to spend the rest of my life working out on an elliptical machine. Unfortunately we don't have a public swimming pool closer than 50 miles so that doesn't leave many options.
  • millifred2
    millifred2 Posts: 3
    I agree, I am cleaning a 5000 square foot house with frequent visits from grandchildren!
  • indigo_rose
    indigo_rose Posts: 250
    I think it's a joke logging cleaning. Pretty sure we didn't just start cleaning when we.decided to eat right and exercise. And then I see people log "cleaning calories" and then turn around and eat those "earned" calories. They are not doing themselves any favors by doing this.

    Hell to the yes!!! Amen to this!!
  • Kxgz
    Kxgz Posts: 198 Member
    Glad to see someone agrees with me so enthusiastically : )

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