Let's make a pact: Cleaning house IS NOT AN EXERCISE

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Replies

  • Kjarlune
    Kjarlune Posts: 178
    Okay that was my funny....in truth though...If it is something you do not do very often like myself. I have a housekeeper....and then I spend a day cleaning my butt off and working up a sweat I count it. There are times when my heart rate is far higher while I am cleaning under my bed then on a treadmill......If it burns extra calories is it not considered a calorie burn?
  • meggiemaye
    meggiemaye Posts: 117
    I avoid this problem by not doing any cleaning :tongue:

    Amen!
  • Laurieannfanelli
    Laurieannfanelli Posts: 36 Member
    I post house cleaning as excersise I don't add it as that many cal just at 200 burned. But some days I shampoo carpets and wash windows. I have a 4000 sq ft house its a lot. And I am very OCD so its a lot of work every day!
  • Still_Sossy
    Still_Sossy Posts: 868 Member
    Then do it. You are an adult and we are all responsible for our own weight loss/gain. We all don't have to agree on what is considered exercise but I know when I'm burning calories and when I'm not.




    Bawhahahahaaaaaaa! I freakin love this woman!!!! High five for telling it like it is!
  • meggiemaye
    meggiemaye Posts: 117
    Then do it. You are an adult and we are all responsible for our own weight loss/gain. We all don't have to agree on what is considered exercise but I know when I'm burning calories and when I'm not.


    I agree that we shouldn't be hyperanalyzing the actions of others here...it's not negatively affecting you for other people to do that; ultimately everyone is accountable only to themselves. I'm sure you meant well and I think that maybe this topic could have been brought up in a less offensive way. On MFP we don't coddle people, but we do try and be supportive at all times. Lots of people have very high levels of pain where activity is involved, and to them maybe it's exciting to log a small victory. It's not for us to judge what they qualify as a workout.
  • lil_missfit
    lil_missfit Posts: 565 Member
    Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. But as for me, i was VERY INACTIVE due pain. When i finally found a Dr. who would listen to me & work with me to manage my pain, i am able to move better AND clean house. This was something that i rarely did before. Does this mean that walking at a slow speed should not be considered exercise either? Well, my Dr. would disagree considering i've lost 39 pounds by being able to do housework again AND walking at a slow pace. (31 lbs. before i joined MFP) The best part is that by losing the weight, i'm able to do more. at a faster rate & for longer periods of time. And isn't that what exercise is all about?

    Just one plus size mama's opinion.

    Awesome!!! I totally agree with you on this. A friend of mine has lost a huge amount of weight (over 50lbs was over 300lbs) just by moving more around her house, walking around her neighborhood (not fast) and eating a whole LOT less (which she couldn't/didn't do before) she is just NOW doing what I guess some consider as REAL exercise because her health has of course improved.

    I am not going to add them anymore unless my HRM says my HR is up high enough to burn calories worth talking about- it's just because I don't want to:)) I agree with you---to each is own and everyone is entitled to do what they want:))
  • riley711
    riley711 Posts: 298 Member
    I have a sedentary lifestyle, and I don't clean often, so when I do, I am definitely burning calories, so yes, I'm definitely going to count them. If others don't agree, they don't have to count them. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and can make their own choices.
  • jmhigg1020
    jmhigg1020 Posts: 51 Member
    So people are reaching 600 calorie "workouts" in part because they "cleaned the house"... wtf??? Should I add "Run to catch the bus" or "jump to reach the mustard"?? We are tryin to lose weight here, let's be honest! Who's in?

    May I ask exactly where your mustard is that you must jump for it? That sounds like a bigger problem to me than figuring out your calorie burn. It's a great condiment! LOL!! :)
  • grumpyswife123
    grumpyswife123 Posts: 42
    So people are reaching 600 calorie "workouts" in part because they "cleaned the house"... wtf??? Should I add "Run to catch the bus" or "jump to reach the mustard"?? We are tryin to lose weight here, let's be honest! Who's in?

    I don't record daily housekeeping, BUT if It takes me 4 hours to do laundry, clean out closets, vaccumm, dust, mop, etc, you bet I'm gonna record it
  • LovelySnugs
    LovelySnugs Posts: 389
    i wash poopy diapers at least 4 times a week. i wash dishes twice a day. vacuum almost every day also. these are not things that i, personally, count. the rule of thumb that i was given was this: 'if it gets your heart rate up, works up a sweat, and it's NOT something you did regularly while you were getting fat, log it. but it has to meet all of those'.

    so, by this logic, shifting, unpacking, and rearranging my bedroom closet and storage closet counted for me under cleaning for cardio. i could even have counted it under strength training, since i was mostly lifting and moving boxes to make more of them fit into the same space.

    i certainly don't want to be judged by someone like the original poster, just because this fool doesn't know what i mean when i log "cleaning" as exercise.

    ETA: it should be noted that on the closet cleaning occasion, i only logged half the time it actually took, and i marked it as "light" effort instead of "vigorous". still doesn't make me a bad person.
  • TTops76
    TTops76 Posts: 116
    I clean houses for a living, 3 to 4 hours at each house 2 houses a day. I sweat, I work hard and I don't clean one room then sit on the couch and watch a 30 min program on tv. But even if I didn't clean houses as a job I would still count it if I got my heart rate up for more than 30 min at a time. More people should count this and make it a priority in life. I started out doing this to make mad money but after seeing how filthy some people lived it became a profession.
  • bellinachuchina
    bellinachuchina Posts: 498 Member
    hahaaha exactly!

    The weight comes off a lot easier when excuses aren't apart of your mindset. Overestimate calories consumed & underestimate activity calories burned. I guarentee you'll see results.
  • ldon37
    ldon37 Posts: 145 Member
    Then do it. You are an adult and we are all responsible for our own weight loss/gain. We all don't have to agree on what is considered exercise but I know when I'm burning calories and when I'm not.


    I agree that we shouldn't be hyperanalyzing the actions of others here...it's not negatively affecting you for other people to do that; ultimately everyone is accountable only to themselves. I'm sure you meant well and I think that maybe this topic could have been brought up in a less offensive way. On MFP we don't coddle people, but we do try and be supportive at all times. Lots of people have very high levels of pain where activity is involved, and to them maybe it's exciting to log a small victory. It's not for us to judge what they qualify as a workout.


    Very well said! I am wondering why anyone would be bothered by what someone else is logging. I don't have any clue what anyone else is logging, nor do I care (I don't mean that in a mean way). I use MFP to keep MYSELF accountable, and to get POSITIVE SUPPORT from others.
  • PamDW
    PamDW Posts: 246
    I work full time, go to the gym 3 - 4 times a week and supplement my workouts in other ways... my job is mostly sedentary so when I clean my house... (thoroughly) which is every other week, I count it. I have friends that are at home moms and they count that in their normal everyday activity.
    I truly think this is a personal call.... everyone has differernt lifestyles and different baselines... not one of us have any place to judge anothers action as to what they count and dont count. I applaud anyone that is using whatever activity they can get in to strive towards their goal of getting healthy.
  • cardbucfan
    cardbucfan Posts: 10,549 Member
    I also have to disagree that you should only add exercise that gets your heart rate up or that you can't talk while you are doing it. I work out hard but this summer when we go on vacation to the Grand Canyon I will be hiking for 4 hours at a time every day a couple of times a day. My heart rate won't go anywhere near what it does when I run or when I do a spin class but you bet I'll be counting that as exercise.
  • arewethereyet
    arewethereyet Posts: 18,702 Member
    Please follow the forum rules. We can debate an issue without attacking or insulting other members.

    4) Do not attack/slam/insult other users. The forums are here so that members can help support one another. Attacks or insults against each other takes away from the supportive atmosphere and will not be tolerated. You can discuss the message or topic, but not the messenger - NO EXCEPTIONS. If you are attacked by another user, and you reciprocate, YOU will also be subject to the same consequences. Defending yourself, defending a friend, etc. are NOT excuses. Violations of this rule are taken very seriously and may result in being banned without warning! If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.

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    Forum Moderator
  • MissingMinnesota
    MissingMinnesota Posts: 7,486 Member
    Just am FYI I just spent the last 45 minutes cleaning the bathroom with my heart rate monitor on. I worked up a sweat but barely got my heart rate going and if I log it would be a whole 79 calories.
  • Shannon023
    Shannon023 Posts: 14,529 Member
    I'm gonna continue logging it, but I always keep the mustard within reach so I'll pass on that. :smile:
  • Ash10Dent
    Ash10Dent Posts: 75
    I hardcore clean one day a week for at least 4 or 5 hours. Bet your *kitten* I'm counting it!
  • brbmom
    brbmom Posts: 10 Member
    What is your BMR?

    Your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is an estimate of how many calories you'd burn if you were to do nothing but rest for 24 hours. It represents the minimum amount of energy needed to keep your body functioning, including breathing and keeping your heart beating.

    This was taking from this site. So, taking this into consideration, then cleaning does count. You are doing activity and not resting.

    At least that's how I take it. I know that not everybody counts cleaning, but I do. It has not done any harm and I have lost weight, even more than the 2lbs a week that I have set for myself.
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