housework counting as legitimate exercise

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  • jfrankic
    jfrankic Posts: 747 Member
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    If you eat TDEE-%, then you don't have to worry about exercise calories. Much simpler way of life, for me anyway. :wink:

    Wondering what this is? Here, read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/975025-in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet .

    Wondering if this type of eating style works? Here, check out my profile before/after pix.
  • bonniecarbtoo
    bonniecarbtoo Posts: 29
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    Emisole I like what you said. Nobody can assume what you do is part of your "expectations". It wasn't part of mine, so there are plenty of people that just are not "routine" like everyone else thinks you should be.
  • RunningRichelle
    RunningRichelle Posts: 346 Member
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    I have a BodyMedia armband- I wear it 24/7 except for washing up.

    On days when I do around 5-8 hours of housework but don't actually do a structured workout, like Sundays when I do my food prep for the week, I will burn about 2500-2700 calories for the whole day.

    On days that I term a 'rest day,' which means I don't to any exercise OR any housework, my burn for the day is about 2150-2250 calories.

    On days that I term a rest day and I DO end up doing an hour to two hours of housework, my burn ends up around 2300-2400.

    So my answer is COUNT IT! When you're working in the house, you are bending, stretching, reaching, walking, pivoting, squatting, etc. It's a much lower burn, but it adds up as evidenced by the burn I get on my Sunday food prep days.

    And I believe my armband is 100% accurate, I've been dropping pounds like science since I got it.

    Happy cleaning! (And subsequent eating!)
  • judypriv
    judypriv Posts: 206 Member
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    I count it if it's mopping, hands and knees cleaning, scrubbing tubs out cleaning, that sort of stuff 'cause in a house with 2 dogs, a husband, elderly parents and three small kids - it's a workout. When I mow my acre of lawn, i count it since it takes hours and I sweat like a pig. If I am picking up, wiping a counter, doing dishes I don't count it.
  • GnomeLove
    GnomeLove Posts: 379
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    Most people clean their living areas on a regular basis...so it is not something out of the norm. If my house looked like an episode of Hoarders and I spent all day removing dead cats and mountains of mayonnaise jars and such...then, yeah, I might count that.
  • CharRicho
    CharRicho Posts: 389 Member
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    I don't count housework that is my normal every day stuff.

    If I do a really big proper house clean then I do count it because that is hours of work, and lifting, and a lot more than I would normally do in a day.
  • bonniecarbtoo
    bonniecarbtoo Posts: 29
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    I'm amazed that so many people are so flippin' sedentary in their day to day that they'd actually consider cleaning and the like exercise.

    Lots of people are sedentary. It should not be taken negatively all the time. I am sedentary yet I workout 6 times a week. There are reasons for people being sedentary, dont confuse that word with "lazy".
  • sammniamii
    sammniamii Posts: 669 Member
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    I count vigorous housecleaning - but I clean house like a MAD woman. It's at least a 2-6+ hour affair, I sweat and I'm constantly moving. BUT I only count 50% of the time I do, IE: if I took 4 hours to clean the whole place, I'd maybe count 2 hours. Mostly because on those days, I'm not doing a "dedicated" exercise.

    BUT I don't count daily straightening and such, only "hard-core" cleaning.

    I DO count yard work, but for me that falls under the same rules as house cleaning. I normally only do it once in a great while and when I do, I DO EVERYTHING IN ONE DAY.

    And I have counted mowing the yard, because it's not my "normal" activity - it's the hubs and I'm a perfection freak who HAS to have it right. My 1/16th of an acre yard will take me 45 min-75 min (trimming hedges, weed eating/edging & mowing).
  • dakitten2
    dakitten2 Posts: 888 Member
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    Did you not clean your house before you gained weight? I mean why count the things you should already be doing? I have yet to see anyone post a success story saying, YAY I lost 100 lbs by cleaning my house!

    This is my attitude too. Before starting my lifestyle changes, I was already cooking, cleaning light, cleaning deep, laundry, etc. I only count the things that are considered exercise or things I've never done before.
  • Mario_Az
    Mario_Az Posts: 1,331 Member
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    Train insane or remain the same!
  • Tabby1216
    Tabby1216 Posts: 56 Member
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    If you have your activity level set to anything other than "sedentary", I wouldn't. I don't log things that I do on a daily or weekly basis (straightening up the house, laundry, dishes, food prep/cooking.) I do log when I am doing a deep cleaning, rearranging, or shampooing the carpets. Even then, I only log for part of the time.
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
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    Have you ever asked someone how they lost weight and had them reply "by keeping my house clean"?
  • Scottish_charlene_84
    Scottish_charlene_84 Posts: 986 Member
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    I wouldnt count it. Ur calorie are set at ur level of movement anyway so..
  • rharris86dc
    rharris86dc Posts: 635 Member
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    I log housework, but only because I have my activity level set to sedentary. If you've already given yourself some wiggle room for daily activity, I wouldn't log it.
  • scrapjen
    scrapjen Posts: 387 Member
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    I wear a Fitbit, and as I clean (which I'm sure isn't as often as needed) I usually only show moderate activity still, not my "active" spike like during an ellipitcal/bike/treadmill workout. I'm sure I get a slight bump in calories. I mark in my personal notes if I mowed the lawn, walked to the park or played ping pong, but I don't actually record them as "exercise". Better to underestimate calorie burn ...
  • MelissaL582
    MelissaL582 Posts: 1,422 Member
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    I wouldn't. That's normal day to day stuff.

    Exercise is just that, not chores.

    This. I'm a SAHM, so I do all the cleaning and such around the house- I don't log that as exercise.
  • bagge72
    bagge72 Posts: 1,377 Member
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    Did you not clean your house before you gained weight? I mean why count the things you should already be doing? I have yet to see anyone post a success story saying, YAY I lost 100 lbs by cleaning my house!

    This makes no sense. I worked my butt off in the gym, and still gained weight, because I ate too much. I just wear my fit bit all of the time, and if I do more work around the house than normal it adjust my calories so I can eat more, and I have never had a problem with that.
  • SweetJoanne
    SweetJoanne Posts: 106 Member
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    I don't count the regular day to day stuff, I know some people even log food preparation. I just log mine when I have a big house clean as I am down on my knees washing floors, cleaning windows and up and down the stairs 2 flights about 50 times. I work my *kitten* off when I clean my house every other weekend for a big clean
  • kiekokay
    kiekokay Posts: 101 Member
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    I think it depends on how you set your daily activity level. I am a psychologist (sitting all day!) so mine is at sendentary. Because of this I log things like walking the dog and my weekly cleaning routine because they are more active than what is in my normal daily routine. If I am going to spend 5 minutes sweeping the kitchen or some other daily chore, I don't log it, but my weekly routine definitely is more exercise than "sedentary" !

    Also, I think people are confusing Heart Rate Monitors (HRMs) with electronic pedometers (FitBits, etc.). An electronic pedometer measures movement, so yes, repetitive sweeping would be interpreted as more exercise than it really is. A heart rate monitor though does just what it says, it measures heart rate. Our heart rate is directly related to aerobic activity, so it is far more accurate in measuring calories burned.

    Moral of the story ~ If your setting are set to sedentary, I would consider counting things such as yardwork & cleaning that feel aerobic. Also, if you are using an actual HRM (not an electronic pedometer) that says you are burning calories, then you are!
  • Saucy_lil_Minx
    Saucy_lil_Minx Posts: 3,302 Member
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    I do not count housework I do it daily. I will count my lawn work my yard is very big, and I push the mower at a constant rate for 30 min. or more.

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