Is Cleaning House Exercise?

MakeLifeBright
MakeLifeBright Posts: 176
edited September 21 in Fitness and Exercise
May sound like a silly question, but some times after cleaning house I get tired.:ohwell:
I was wondering can you log cleaning your house as exercise?
How many calories do you think it burns, when cleaning for an hour?:glasses:

Replies

  • Yurippe
    Yurippe Posts: 850 Member
    It's in the data base for exercise. I logged 5 hours of cleaning on Sat and it came out to 1270 calories.
  • khacker1
    khacker1 Posts: 6
    It is listed in the exercise section under cleaning. I know if I'm really mopping, carrying laundry down the stairs, really working hard I do count it. I think vigorous cleaning it says is 284 calories. I bet i burn that in the first 30 minutes.:smile:
  • metco89
    metco89 Posts: 578 Member
    check the database it is in there but i don't know the exacts on it. hope that helps!!!! :flowerforyou:
  • TammyK777
    TammyK777 Posts: 230 Member
    I totally count it! I'm more sore from sweeping or mopping that some cardio :) Cleaning is listed in the Exercise database, either light or heavy.
  • 4lafz
    4lafz Posts: 1,078 Member
    Go to Exercise - Database and type in cleaning. There is a light and heavy. Based on your weight and number of minutes YOU are burning claories. I don't usually count them but others sure do!
  • leavinglasvegas
    leavinglasvegas Posts: 1,495
    When I scrub my floors (I have all hard wood and tile up and downstairs) you better believe I count it! It takes hours and totally wipes me out! I don't log when I just clean regularly, like dusting, sweeping, etc. But when I do the big stuff, like grab a scrub brush and get on my knees, that counts for sure!
  • kelika71
    kelika71 Posts: 778 Member
    It's in the database, but I don't count it. I know some say they do if it's heavy cleaning, but I don't even do that. I figure it's just bonus calories burnt.

    Then again, I also don't eat my exercise calories, either. I just log when I actually workout. That's just me. :)
  • Panda86
    Panda86 Posts: 873
    Cleaning is in the database- and it most certainly is exercise!!! And it can be quite a good form of exercise, too! I feel like I get the best workout sweeping, mopping, and vacuuming :) Who knew that cleaning could be so good for you, huh!?
  • Sherry44
    Sherry44 Posts: 26 Member
    I typically don't count them, but if I'm pulling the fridge out to clean behind it or cleaning kitchen cabinets going up and down the step stool a lot I sure do!
  • MakeLifeBright
    MakeLifeBright Posts: 176
    WoW I will check it out Thank You.. guess I should have known it was in the database. :tongue:
    Thank's for every one who responded!! :love:
  • renae5
    renae5 Posts: 393 Member
    Yes it is exercise and Yes it is in the database. Me, I don't count it unless it is like Major spring cleaning or something. I figure if it is something I do on a daily basis (as well as something I did when I was at my heaviest) like cleaning or sex... then I am not going to count it as "extra" now that I am smaller.
  • RushinBruisette
    RushinBruisette Posts: 2,109 Member
    You bet!!!! I log mine only every so often, I don't count daily cleaning :)
  • CFAITH_WARD
    CFAITH_WARD Posts: 281 Member
    I used to clean houses and yes it really burns calories...I wasn't tiny then but I wasn't overweight either......Do you have a heart rate monitor?.....You can use it to get the exact number....There is a estimated one in the data base though.
  • lculian
    lculian Posts: 313 Member
    I count it, because normally I sit at a desk all day. So when I mop, scrub, vacuum or carry laundry I definitely feel like I've earned the calories I've burned. I also count gardening, it's in the data base too.

    Congrats on the weight you've already lost!
  • toots99
    toots99 Posts: 3,794 Member
    It's in the database, but I don't count it. I know some say they do if it's heavy cleaning, but I don't even do that. I figure it's just bonus calories burnt.

    Then again, I also don't eat my exercise calories, either. I just log when I actually workout. That's just me. :)

    Same for me. I do housecleaning (three houses, two days a week) to earn extra money. I don't count it as exercise, but I did bump up my daily activity level.
  • SuzanneRogers
    SuzanneRogers Posts: 250 Member
    I count cleaning when I scrub the tub and shower or clean the house form top to bottom, which includes all of the following dusting, mopping, bathrooms, sweeping and doing 4-5 loads of laundry and putting them away. I never put more than 2-3 hours, b/c I'm not keeping my heartrate up 160+ for 3 hours. So I log it as 3 hours light or 1.5 heavy for the day of cleaning.
  • KJLDavies
    KJLDavies Posts: 30 Member
    I always count it! I have my activity level set at sedentary since I have a desk job, so any extra work I do on my feet I definitely count!
  • avengedjennifold
    avengedjennifold Posts: 1 Member
    I clean 3 houses a day and I am sweating like a faucet. I'm pretty sure its exercise x.X
  • RenewedRunner
    RenewedRunner Posts: 423 Member
    Definition:
    ex·er·cise
    /ˈeksərˌsīz/
    Noun
    Activity requiring physical effort, carried out esp. to sustain or improve health and fitness


    Think the last part is a sticking point. I didnt get fat cause I failed to clean. JS.
  • phurst00
    phurst00 Posts: 100 Member
    I don't log cleaning in MFP because I'm pretty sure that the calories burned numbers are way inflated. However, I do feel good about cleaning anyway because A.) Clean house = win and B.) Time not spent sitting on my butt = win!
  • missmegan831
    missmegan831 Posts: 824 Member
    NO :noway: NO :noway: NO :noway:
  • LoosingMyLast15
    LoosingMyLast15 Posts: 1,457 Member
    May sound like a silly question, but some times after cleaning house I get tired.:ohwell:
    I was wondering can you log cleaning your house as exercise?
    How many calories do you think it burns, when cleaning for an hour?:glasses:

    nope i cleaned my house when i was fat and i still clean it now that i'm not nearly as fat - never helped me loose weight so i don't log it.
  • MinMin97
    MinMin97 Posts: 2,674 Member
    If you have your settings at sedentary, then anything you do above that is exercise.
    Your energy will increase quickly over time when you exercise....because your body makes more energy in response to the demand you make on it.
    You can find the calorie burn by looking it up in the database.
  • FrancineM62
    FrancineM62 Posts: 42 Member
    I only log exercise that increases my heart rate for a sustained period of time. If cleaning is part of your typical day, that is captured in the initial data you entered in MFP, where you designate your typical day as sedentary, moderately active, etc. I know people who log every little thing they do, perhaps trying to create a calorie deficit, but it doesn't work that way.
  • Miminem
    Miminem Posts: 5 Member
    He'll yes it is!!!!!!
  • xp0sed
    xp0sed Posts: 173 Member
    I read this post a couple weeks ago (I stumbled upon it), so I decided to test it today. I wore my HRM while I cleaned the entire house - every room dusted and vacuumed, floors mopped, kitchen cleaned, both bathrooms cleaned, bedding changed, 3 loads of laundry and garbage taken out.

    It took me just under 3 hours to do this and I burned 735 calories :)
  • shmerek
    shmerek Posts: 963 Member
    Don't log it especially if you are using a HRM to calculate calories because it will be way off the map. Cleaning is just part of general day to day activity.
  • ilfaith
    ilfaith Posts: 16,769 Member
    I don't log cleaning as exercise. I just figure it as part of my everyday activity...similarly, I don't count walking around the supermarket aisles as exercise. I do wear a Fitbit, so if there are extra steps above and beyond, I figure it will sync to correct any deficit.
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