Does Housework Really Count as Exercise?

bjshields
bjshields Posts: 677 Member
edited September 22 in Fitness and Exercise
Well, I have been having an ongoing debate with one of my MFP friends, and I'm wondering where everybody else weighs in on this subject (no pun intended).

My friend counts housework or cleaning as exercise and logs it as such. I just don't buy that cleaning the house is a fat-burning, metabolism-churning bona fide form of exercise. I consider it ACTIVITY, but not EXERCISE.

I am open to having my mind changed, but so far I don't buy it. Anybody else?
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Replies

  • tcam70455
    tcam70455 Posts: 128 Member
    I do not always count it, but when I have done major deep cleaning, moving boxes, etc beyond the norm, I do. My dryer broke, so right now I am carrying big loads of clothes down the road to my in-laws house to dry. I walk with it, so I sometimes count that.
  • luvmygroundtrooper
    luvmygroundtrooper Posts: 17
    I mark mine down as well, but as a moderate, light activity (not hard core!) I do it after I work out a few days a week, and I keep moving for a couple hours, I guess in my mind to try to keep the heart rate up more than just lounging would, but no I wouldn't consider it comparable to cardio, but it does burn a few calories, say the way shoveling snow would! I still work out even if I did those activities, it just helps burn a few more calories I guess?!!
  • ropedancer
    ropedancer Posts: 115
    I've seen several posts on this and everyone seems to have a different opinion. Here's what works for me.

    I do count cleaning as exercise, but not my only exercise for the day. So if I spent 30 minutes dusting and washing dishes that doesn't get me out of doing my scheduled 45 minutes of pilates or whatever exercise I'm planning on doing that day. I also don't count cleaning that doesn't involve much physical exertion, like folding laundry. If it doesn't get me moving, it's not exercise.

    Oh, and I always count shoveling snow. Sometimes I get a better work out from that than I would my regular exercise.
  • XFitMojoMom
    XFitMojoMom Posts: 3,255 Member
    If it's not part of your daily activity and you don't count it as such (say, you have a sedentary lifestyle) - then count it. I had a housekeeper once a week who did all the deep cleaning. When she left I was doing it for over 3 months. For fun I wore my HRM and let me tell you, vacuuming and mopping raised my HR to 140's! Cleaning bathtubs and showers was also pretty intense, but more because of the contortionist you needed to be.
    First time I did it took me 4 hours and somewhere in the neighborhood of 1800 calories!
  • Jerri_Thompson
    Jerri_Thompson Posts: 48
    I do when I do it moderate or vigorously. Like for an extended period of time and no breaks. I clean everyday but dont count unless its moderate to vigorous and over 30 min.:flowerforyou:
  • JLeeAlton
    JLeeAlton Posts: 311
    I never mark it down. Esp if I have exercised that day.
  • kimmiebear70
    kimmiebear70 Posts: 384 Member
    Absolutely!

    On days that I don't get a regular workout, but have been cleaning, I will count it. For me, I will only count it if I'm moving for at least 20 minutes and I will only count it as 15 minutes of light cleaning, no matter if it was moderate to vigorous.
  • ssmom
    ssmom Posts: 128 Member
    I only count heavy housework. If I scrub the floors on my hands and knees and build up a sweat I will count it. But the everyday norm I don't....dishes, vacuuming, laundry...I just consider that a bonus. But if counting the everyday things helps to motivate your friend to at least get off the couch than so be it.
  • jessicamichalski
    jessicamichalski Posts: 45
    I think it could count if it is above and beyond what you normally do. Like last night for me, I DEEP cleaned for 4.5 hours and didn't give myself time to work out. I counted that because I cleaned and moved things, and have 4 large baskets/bags for goodwill! That was tough and I was def sweating by the time I was done! Do I think it was worth the 947 calories burned? Eh. I still watched my calorie intake and I would never sub that for exercise, but I only do that kind of cleaning maybe 6 times a year! :)
  • jeorwa
    jeorwa Posts: 92 Member
    I HATE cleaning - so marking it down makes it a 'reward" for me....like I'm getting something out of it! :) If it's just making the bed and loading the dishwasher, I don't count it. But if it's heavy cleaning that takes longer than 30 minutes I definately do. When I clean, I like to rearrange furniture, so I def feel that it's exercise!
    In the summer, I garden a half acre. You can bet I'll count that!
    I also do farm work - so I count that as well!
    It just makes me feel better about myself, and helps me realize that I can incorporate exercise into my useful life and it doesn't have to be only treadmill exercise that counts! Since I'm training myself in a way to live and this isn't just a diet I need to be able to "feel" what is a days exercise for me...the only way for me to do that is to track it now.
    Whatever works for you
  • gymnstccoach
    gymnstccoach Posts: 3
    Hello :) I add house cleaning in, because I own a cleaning business and by the time I am done at each job I am sweating. Even though it is hard work I still only add it as light/moderate cleaning and I still do my workout on top of it. I do not add in my own personal house cleaning, because I do that at a leisurely pace and do not feel I have burned anything off. Good luck to you :)
  • bjshields
    bjshields Posts: 677 Member
    thanks, all. I think I'm probably not going to count it for the most part, although in my head, I'll still know I've been "active" for the day, unless as some of you have said, it was hours and laborious (like wiping up floors, etc.). I have had cleaning days where I've broken a sweat, but for the most part, that's just not happening.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    It so happens, I just posted a blog on this topic yesterday:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Azdak/view/activities-to-log-or-not-to-log-57883
  • ahealthy4u
    ahealthy4u Posts: 442 Member
    Is this something you should log ever day no, however I have been told by people who make a living working out and training also talking with a doctor that anything that gets your heart rate up is considered exercise as long as you are moving and shaking "Figure of speach" you are working out good example four flights of stairs to go up and down to do laundry? do you consider that a work out. I would say so if you are going up and down the stairs more then once a day.
  • nwhitley
    nwhitley Posts: 619
    I don't consider it exercise. If it were, I would be thin.
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    Oh, and I always count shoveling snow. Sometimes I get a better work out from that than I would my regular exercise.

    Shoveling is a good one, you have to put your whole body into it. The last time I shoveled I wore my HRM. My heart rate was 160-180 the entire time and I burned something like 700 calories in just 45ish minutes.
  • shiseido_faerie
    shiseido_faerie Posts: 771 Member
    Normally I don't count it, but, times when I'm doing big time on hands and knees scrubbing stuff, I will. IE today I scrubbed the bathroom, top to bottom, every little crevice, 45 minutes, broke a sweat so I logged it. I didn't log the time I spent doing laundry even though I lug it up and down several flights of stairs, or dishes or dusting or vacuuming etc. just the more vigorous stuff.
  • AliciaBeth78
    AliciaBeth78 Posts: 437 Member
    I don't count my weekly cleaning (i.e. dusting, vaccuming, laundry, etc) because I feel it's a part of life.... BUT I will count my once every few months cleaning frenzy that I go on!
  • ajbeans
    ajbeans Posts: 2,857 Member
    I consider it ACTIVITY, but not EXERCISE.

    Just wondering: what's the difference between "activity" and "exercise?" In both, you're moving, and since you're moving, you're burning more calories than you would sitting on your butt. Perhaps it's because you're not sweating? But in that case, why do we tell sedentary people to take a walk around the block if they can't get to the gym? We say that because any movement is better than no movement, right? Where do YOU draw the line?

    Personally, I see no distinction. Whether you log it or not, your body does burn more calories moving than it does not moving, and if you're cleaning, you're moving. It's not as many calories as, say, running 3 miles. But it's something. The trick is not to overestimate your calories burned. But for a person who's very overweight, even light housework can be a pretty big burn. Even people who aren't overweight burn SOMETHING cleaning their house.
  • Chairless
    Chairless Posts: 583 Member
    I don't consider it exercise. If it were, I would be thin.

    unless you ate more than it burned.

    I log the big cleans, the ones where im lugging stuff around and scrubbing for hours on end. Every day stuff doesn't get logged.
  • tjpinch
    tjpinch Posts: 87 Member
    It really depends. I'm a SAHM of two boys, and when I first signed up I had my activity level as "sedentary", and my calorie goals at 1.5 lb/week loss. I was losing over 2. So obviously carrying loads of laundry up and down the stairs were having some impact. I've re-adjusted my activity level and it balanced out. If I were doing anything out of the ordinary I'd log it.
  • ARDuBaie
    ARDuBaie Posts: 378 Member
    Since I exercise every day, I don't count it. I know that some do, but when I am burning up to 1000 calories a day and can't even eat all those calories, why count housework as exercise? On top of that, I do a little housework, sit down, do some more, sit down, etc. so it just doesn't seem like exercise to me. Just my humble opinion that only applies to me. What others do is up to them.
  • schnarfo
    schnarfo Posts: 764 Member
    no its not exercise, it is an activity. however should you log it? totally up to you - if you worked hard and worked up a sweat then why not?
  • adjones5
    adjones5 Posts: 938 Member
    If I'm doing my regular cleaning (laundry, kitchen, dusting, etc.) I don't count it but if I spend 7 hours moving heavy **** around and scrubbing on my hands a knees I'll wear my heart rate monitor just to see, if its significant I may log some of it.
  • abbigail_r
    abbigail_r Posts: 283 Member
    the amount of calories you are givien in a day is about how many calories you burn daily. If you are doing housework you dont normally do and you break a sweat yes i think it can be counted but daily activity and cleaning no...
  • ajbeans
    ajbeans Posts: 2,857 Member
    no its not exercise, it is an activity. however should you log it? totally up to you - if you worked hard and worked up a sweat then why not?

    I don't sweat very much except in the summer, regardless of what I'm doing, and then in the summer I sweat almost constantly. Sweat is not a good indicator of effort, or of calories burned.
  • dez_yaoichan
    dez_yaoichan Posts: 454
    i only count it if its beyond the normal, everyday chores. washing dishes? no. moving around the living room and scrubbing floors? yes.
  • grapenutSF
    grapenutSF Posts: 648 Member
    No. Quit it.
  • dez_yaoichan
    dez_yaoichan Posts: 454
    double post
  • jillcwhite
    jillcwhite Posts: 181 Member
    No I would not count it! If I did a all day cleaning and was out of breath and broke sweat - I would put in some time for calorie burning but not the whole time. I would hate to eat a bunch of food thinking I burned it cleaning.
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