Does housework count as exercise?

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katrcortez
katrcortez Posts: 8 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Today I cleaned up around my house for 2.5 hours, no joke! I swept, mopped, cleaned all of my cupboards and drawers, cleaned my laundry room and cleaned my linen closet. I broke a nice sweat, and I wanted to know if anyone thinks that I should add that to my exercise log... Thanks!

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  • Crystal817
    Crystal817 Posts: 2,021 Member
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    What is your activity level set at? If you felt that it definitely burned some major calories, then log it! But if you are already pretty active, I would just conisder it part of your everyday lifestyle.
  • sbilyeu75
    sbilyeu75 Posts: 567 Member
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    It depends on your normal activity level. I personally wouldn't count it.
  • lnosgood
    lnosgood Posts: 92
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    If i break a sweat doing it then hell yes i log it! Just the normal picking up around the house i dont log, but if i'm scrubbing, sweeping, and mopping where i break one hell of a sweat then log that. It is exercise if you're really into it!
  • HolsDoinIt
    HolsDoinIt Posts: 327 Member
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    to me it depends..if its something that I dont do on a normal day to day basis, then i count it. but it is listed under the exercise database..
  • myowncrazycool
    myowncrazycool Posts: 42 Member
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    If your activity level is set for active than it is counted in your "lifestyle". I wouldn't log any exercise that doesn't keep your heart rate elevated at a fat burning rate for an extended period of time. When you clean rigorously your heart rate may go up and down, but I don't think it ever stays in a fat burning range long enough to burn fat.
  • katrcortez
    katrcortez Posts: 8 Member
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    Wow, lots of good advice. I am normally pretty active, and I am mostly moving around during the day. Not a whole lot of sit down time for this lady! I have 5 kids and a husband, so I am generally cleaning the house everyday. Today was more of a spring cleaning, though!A little more then the norm! Hmm, now I have to think about if I should log it or not, lol!


    *side note, my activity level is already set as active
  • wilyz
    wilyz Posts: 37
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    No no and no. Housekeeping is not exercise!
  • lizzycomp
    lizzycomp Posts: 64
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    It's listed as "cleaning".
  • JulieBoBoo
    JulieBoBoo Posts: 642
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    my activity level is set for sedentary. If I break a sweat doing exercise I log it BUT I only log 1/3 of the time (so if I clean for 15 mins I log 5) because I find the estimated burns on MFP to be quite high. I've done fine so far. I don't log things like emptying the dishwasher or just picking up but vacuuming and floor washing I would log. Of course when I started this journey doing those things were very difficult for me.
  • mabear74
    mabear74 Posts: 248
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    I have 6 kids so I feel ya on the cleaning.....I don't ever count cleaning as exercise since my activity level is set at active.
  • lizzycomp
    lizzycomp Posts: 64
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    Make sure you have a Heart Rate Monitor. You get a more accurate read on the calories you burn versus what MFP list.
  • wigal23
    wigal23 Posts: 363 Member
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    I would count the # of minutes/hours you consider over and above your normal amount of daily cleaning. Fitness isn't about "exercising", its about moving your body and burning those calories however you can!
  • funkyspunky871
    funkyspunky871 Posts: 1,675 Member
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    Definitely. 2 and a half hours is not a normal daily activity, especially if you're set at sedentary... Or even lightly active. (Those settings mostly factor in calories spent at a job anyways). Log it! Or at least log half of it!
  • mursey
    mursey Posts: 191 Member
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    If your activity level is set for active than it is counted in your "lifestyle". I wouldn't log any exercise that doesn't keep your heart rate elevated at a fat burning rate for an extended period of time. When you clean rigorously your heart rate may go up and down, but I don't think it ever stays in a fat burning range long enough to burn fat.

    Agree!
  • Tigerfish62
    Tigerfish62 Posts: 26
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    I count it. Work is exercise. Many older people that are of normal weight, don't excercise but work, garden, do home improvement, bowl, etc. t. Most of them have healthy appetites and eat in moderation to their activity level. It seems to work for them. We shall see what happens. Good luck to all.
  • Tigerfish62
    Tigerfish62 Posts: 26
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    Right on!
  • CMH24
    CMH24 Posts: 101 Member
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    I always set mine to sedentary and add little things like cleaning, so that I don't OVER do it on my calories. I would rather burn more than I expected than the alternative. Like everyone said, it depends on what you set it as!
  • tjradd73
    tjradd73 Posts: 3,495 Member
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    I don't count cleaning or walking at work (which some people do), but I do count any "extra" chores such as yardwork and mowing the lawn :)
  • brph26
    brph26 Posts: 207 Member
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    I have my activity set at the lowest possible setting so I do count mine as long as it's consecutive. For example I clean my work office for extra cash and I do count that hour as light cleaning because it is uninterrupted cleaning. I don't normally log cleaning at my house though because I always get interrupted etc.

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