Cleaning as an exercise??

Calliope610 · February 2014

When I was gaining weight, I was doing housework. If it didn't work as exercise then, don't see how it will help me lose weight now.

Calliope610 · February 2014

I dont count cleaning as exercise. I have been cleaning for years and still putting on the pounds. So I just consider it a part of my routine. However, twice I did add snow shoveling as cardio. We have a big driveway and it really felt like I had a real work out by the time I was done.

I'm going to be blunt because I see this answer every. single. time. this subject pops up.... you got fat even when cleaning not because cleaning doesn't help you lose weight... but because you ate more calories than your body could burn... the cleaning is irrelevent... running a marathon would be irrelevent.

so it's about the calories you eat, not the housework you do, right?

LynseyZombie · February 2014

I do part time work cleaning 2 hrs every day. I don't count it though Into my exercise regime. I guess it's because I'd rather count the things in like dancing as I made dancing an effort to help lose the weight

Morgaath · February 2014

I dont count cleaning as exercise. I have been cleaning for years and still putting on the pounds. So I just consider it a part of my routine. However, twice I did add snow shoveling as cardio. We have a big driveway and it really felt like I had a real work out by the time I was done.

And all those years of cleaning and adding weight, were you limiting your calorie intake, or doing something more like eating a family sized bag of chips while drinking a non-diet soda? See, that is the difference.

Put another way, before you were giving your car 12 gallons of fuel every day, and only burning 10 of them.
Now you are giving your car 8 gallons, and burning 10...and then you sometimes make additional trips, so you burn and extra gallon or 2.

k8blujay2 · February 2014

I dont count cleaning as exercise. I have been cleaning for years and still putting on the pounds. So I just consider it a part of my routine. However, twice I did add snow shoveling as cardio. We have a big driveway and it really felt like I had a real work out by the time I was done.

I'm going to be blunt because I see this answer every. single. time. this subject pops up.... you got fat even when cleaning not because cleaning doesn't help you lose weight... but because you ate more calories than your body could burn... the cleaning is irrelevent... running a marathon would be irrelevent.

so it's about the calories you eat, not the housework you do, right?

You bring in more calories than you can burn you get fat... no?

Marilyn773 · February 2014

I add cleaning and cooking because I am sedentary due to illness and age. Just getting up and having a shower can be difficult and tiring. I was so glad that I can add these as it can be an achievement for me. So I think it depends on each person - how fit they are and what they understand as exercise for them. :happy:

susie3g · February 2014

I have my activity level set to sedentary.. I don't log normal cleaning.. 10 minutes here, 15 minutes there etc.... but i will log if i spend a whole chunk of time doing something.. deep cleaning the kitchen for example.

This is exactly the same for me.

keepongoingnmw · February 2014

If you accurately log in your food and count cleaning as exercise and are losing weight what is the harm? If your counting it and logging food acuraty and not losing weight........

deksgrl · February 2014

If you are severely obese, or truly sedentary due to an injury or something, then yes, log cleaning. If you are fairly mobile and chose any other setting except sedentary, then no, do not log cleaning.

Stinkerbelle84 · February 2014

I don't log the day to day stuff (laundry, dishes, picking around the house). I did log an hour today, but spent several hours doing "spring cleaning." I washed linens, curtains, scrubbed bathrooms, baseboards, floors, and windows. I worked up a bit of a sweat and was doing little extra exercises to keep my heart rate up.

My opinion is to be honest with yourself. If you truly believe you burned some noteworthy calories and got your heart rate up, then log away. If you are not honest about it and just log it to show a burn then you are only hurting yourself.

suncluster · February 2014

I don't log cleaning just like I don't log chasing my 2-year old who loves to run around the track for 20 minutes at a time.

It is not just about filling in the boxes for me. It is about making a lifestyle change.
Do something active everyday that you don't log.

1pandabear · February 2014

I add cleaning and cooking because I am sedentary due to illness and age. Just getting up and having a shower can be difficult and tiring. I was so glad that I can add these as it can be an achievement for me. So I think it depends on each person - how fit they are and what they understand as exercise for them. :happy:

That's a very nice comment. :flowerforyou:

RomaWT · February 2014

I dont count cleaning as exercise. I have been cleaning for years and still putting on the pounds. So I just consider it a part of my routine. However, twice I did add snow shoveling as cardio. We have a big driveway and it really felt like I had a real work out by the time I was done.

I'm going to be blunt because I see this answer every. single. time. this subject pops up.... you got fat even when cleaning not because cleaning doesn't help you lose weight... but because you ate more calories than your body could burn... the cleaning is irrelevent... running a marathon would be irrelevent.

You are right, I was not watching what I eat that is why I put on weight. What I meant to point out and maybe it did not come across right is that now even when I am eating right and counting calories, I am not counting cleaning as exercise. I only count the real sweat breaking workouts.

Cleaning as an exercise??

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