Cleaning as a Workout?

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elle18287
elle18287 Posts: 267 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Do you all log cleaning as a work out? I think it is usually kinda crap, but sometimes I do break a sweat cleaning. Tonight I spent two hours strait cleaning our extremely messy bed room. Mostly I was picking up heavy items/ lots of clothes over and over. I broke a little sweat, but I have never really thought of it as exercise before. I know a lot of people log it, but let me know your thoughts!

Replies

  • Taylor521
    Taylor521 Posts: 48 Member
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    its gotta be the same level as walking, atleast
  • ronda_gettinghealthy
    ronda_gettinghealthy Posts: 777 Member
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    get a HRM and see what it says. I dont personally count it because it is something I do everyday-same as I dont count my daily chores in the barn- those are figured in my base cals. but if I was to clean the basement (ugh) or do some serious cleaning (like you did today) I would use a HRM and see what it really counted and I would count those.
  • 612gemini
    612gemini Posts: 37
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    I only log cleaning when I am hitting it hard like scrubbing floors, not when I am dusting my living room! :laugh:
  • 6Janelle13
    6Janelle13 Posts: 353 Member
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    when it is more than my usual i log it. not because i expect to lose weight doing it but so that i get a reminder that i may need to eat more.
  • BerniceB
    BerniceB Posts: 41 Member
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    If I am up and cleaning for much of the day rather than sitting at my computer, I record it by changing my goal to reflex that I am active. I don't record the individual movements. I figure if I am under the exercise numbers I really use, my body will show it by losing a bit more weight. On the other hand, if I want to have a bit extra to eat, I may walk for 10 minutes. LOL. Calories in energy out. Most of the time I am close. Good luck.
  • UneJolieFemme
    UneJolieFemme Posts: 86 Member
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    I feel like burning calories by doing household chores should be just gravy... they are not work outs by any means !!! I even saw once someone logging in 'typing at the computer', burned 50 calories.

    Like, really. How much more in denial can you be ?

    ETA : Most of us tend to underestimate what we eat anyway, so even if you don't log in every movement you make, that should at least be close to even out at the end of the day.
  • marshalemar
    marshalemar Posts: 106
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    Cleaning is actually in the database. I do not log every little bit of straightening up things but I log all of my other cleaning. Definitely works off calories.
  • Crystal817
    Crystal817 Posts: 2,021 Member
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    I even saw once someone logging in 'typing at the computer', burned 50 calories.


    Oh the calories I'm burning right now... has to be at least 5 or 6. I'm logging it!! :laugh:
  • shalynna89
    shalynna89 Posts: 324 Member
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    I usually log it if I break a sweat, and am doing for an hour or so. I do the same with shopping or playing with my son. I have a HRM that I use and it helps when I do those activities because if I get my heartrate up then I know its helping me burn calories and how many I'm burning. Some people consider it to be counted in your daily activities MFP already deducts. I just think its upto each person and what they consider their activity level. If someone never really cleans and one day decides to clean for hours I would count it, but for me if its just vaccuming, wiping things down amd straightening things up I usually don't count it.
  • Cella30
    Cella30 Posts: 539 Member
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    I wore my HRM the other day while cleaning and everytime my heart rate started to drop, I did stairs, situps, lunges, free weights, squats- just 10 or 20 here and there. I then subtracted my calories that I would have burned off by just laying on the couch for those 2 hrs. I feel like that was pretty fair. The next day I was sore all over so it def counted as a workout, IMO!
  • elle18287
    elle18287 Posts: 267 Member
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    i have been working 60 hours a week and we have been sleeping on the couch... that is how messy our room was! So I am counting an hour of lite cleaning (when I actually did two).
    Plus, I stood up all day long at work. Also, I do jumping jacks during the wii boxing and tennis replays and I don't count that lol.
  • ifiwasurvampire
    ifiwasurvampire Posts: 181 Member
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    I log it. But I also use my hrm to keep track of the cals I burn. Somedays I burn more cleaning than I do actually exercising!

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