what do you count as "exercise" what do you log????

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merceah
merceah Posts: 51
in Health and Weight Loss
I am curious what everyone is actually counting as their exercise? I see so many options of exercises you can choose from and some of them make me laugh like cleaning, but I get the idea of cleaning counting. what things do you guys count as an exercise and actually log it into your calculations? Thanks in advance, I am still new here. :happy:
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  • Starkle09
    Starkle09 Posts: 238 Member
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    i only count things that i actually set out to do as exercise...ie walking, running, strength training. Im not a fan of counting house/cleaning as exercise. for me it feels like im "making up" exercises. but to each his own!
  • anolan807
    anolan807 Posts: 273 Member
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    The only time I count cleaning is if I am REALLY cleaning scrubbing and moving heavy furniture. Because lets face it when your doing that kind of cleaning your exhausted by the end of it. Every week/day cleaning I do not count.
  • dls06
    dls06 Posts: 6,774 Member
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    I think most people count only planned exercise. If you burn some calories doing chores its a plus but I would not enter it as actual exercise.
  • mememe66
    mememe66 Posts: 5 Member
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    I'm with Starkle. If I'm not setting out purposely to do some type of exercise activity, I don't count it. (For instance, I don't count housework).
  • whateverdamnit
    whateverdamnit Posts: 130
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    I don't count the little things. I only count my gym workouts where I'm actually really sweating.
  • dblogger
    dblogger Posts: 1
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    In addition to planned exercise, I count physical activity that raises my heart beyond what I normally do during the week. For example, a couple hours of heavy yard work or a brisk walk for greater than 15 minutes.
  • darrcn5
    darrcn5 Posts: 495 Member
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    I don't count housework because I am set to lightly active, and I think that takes it into account already. I do count stuff that is out of the ordinary, like gardening, shoveling mulch, walking at the zoo, basically stuff I don't do on a regular basis.
  • Samerah12
    Samerah12 Posts: 610 Member
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    Its hard!! I've been here for more than 3 months and I'm still trying to figure out what to log... For awhile I was logging dog walks and yard work but I recently decided to just set my activity level to "active" (it was lightly active or whatever the one below it is) and log only running, hiking or going to the gym. I did this mainly for simplicity's sake, I felt like I was logging a bajillion things everyday! Plus it doesn't leave you too calorie constrained on rest days.
  • ewalker10
    ewalker10 Posts: 11
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    If I work up a sweat doing housecleaning or yard work I definitely count it. If you are moving, your are burning calories... and you should feel good about that :)
  • merceah
    merceah Posts: 51
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    That is what I have been thinking all along, it sounded funny that it was an option, even if it does burn calories! Thanks guy, that confirmed my original thoughts, I just want to make sure I have the best chance of success with this new tool. I have already felt the difference since joining.
  • That_Girl
    That_Girl Posts: 1,324 Member
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    When I started this journey, I was NOT active at all and I counted everything I did. And it worked.

    Now, I'm more active (way more active) and I work out and have better stamina so I don't count my daily chores/walking etc.
  • mpfand
    mpfand Posts: 98 Member
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    I only log when I go to Curves, hiking, or walking. I don't log house cleaning (no matter how strenuous-lol), general walking (sight seeing, shopping, etc.) I recently painted our bedroom. It took 7 hours, but I didn't log it. I just consider whatever calories I may have burned a bonus!
  • aquasw16
    aquasw16 Posts: 342 Member
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    I think it depends on your intent. If you are thinking, i am gonna shake my butt and put effort into scrubbin this tub and mopping these floors and you break a sweat, heck yes! Count it! I count it..and i count it when i Mow the lawn for 30 mins and break a sweat! You are burning baby!
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
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    I only log things like cleaning if I have gone above and beyond normal everyday stuff...like if I clean out the basement, I log it. But I usually don't log the full amount of time I spent on it because it seems excessive. I figure if I gained all this weight while still keeping a clean house and doing things like chopping vegetables, then it wasn't helping me!
  • DBabbit
    DBabbit Posts: 173 Member
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    Zumba (aerobics, high), stationary rowing with a resistance band, upper body work with a resistance band (arms, shoulders, back), crunches, sit-ups, ,push-ups, straight-leg lifts, knee lifts, squats, calf raises (seated and standing), shadow boxing (not listed, so I use boxing with a punching bag at half the time).
  • Kelly_Wilson1990
    Kelly_Wilson1990 Posts: 3,245 Member
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    I guess it depends where you are at in your weight loss journey. When I first started, I logged anything that was out of my normal routine: extra yard work, house cleaning, etc. That was because I was so sedentary in my lifestyle that doing those things was exercise to me. Now that I have lost 100 pounds and can do things with ease, I only log my exercise time at the gym, Zumba, swimming and walking. Things that I do that are intentional exercise.
  • bluefox9er
    bluefox9er Posts: 2,917 Member
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    I treat ''cleaning'' or shifting heavy stuff etc as an extra bonus, nott he meat and taters of exercise. anything that raises your heart rate and makes you sweat is good for you at the end of the day, but exercise is exercise and cleaning is cleaning!
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
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    In addition to "normal" exercise, I count heavy cleaning (the kind where I move furniture), yardwork, snow shoveling, and dog walks that are over a mile in length. Under a mile, and I don't bother.
  • CharlieBarleyMom
    CharlieBarleyMom Posts: 727 Member
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    I don't set out to Exercise by mowing the lawn and gardening, but I count those, believe me, I count that. To me it's work and I sweat...

    I don't count everyday housecleaning, I just count the heavy scrubbing & moving days... same thing goes for cooking. I don't count making turkey burgers for lunch or dinner, but if I'm in the kitchen for 3 hours between cutting, chopping, turning, flipping, washing... all to prepare / cook / put away (freeze) multiple portions of food for the next week (or longer), yes, that I count (sometimes).

    But ~ I put myself down as always sitting - the lowest activity you could - because I sit all day at work and I sit while I'm driving to and from work (1.5 hours total)... but I'm always running back up the stairs because I forgot something, going outside to water the plants, go upstairs to get laundry, go back upstairs to get the vacuum cleaner, go back upstairs to get my hair tie so I can exercise, go back upstairs because I left my glasses on the night stand... so sometimes I add in some exercise that might be routine items... I think it all balances out then.
  • karamille
    karamille Posts: 79 Member
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    If it makes me sweat, I count it. But then again... I sweat easily. LOL! Really though... I eat 1500 cals a day (basal metabolic rate) - not the 1200 it gives you. Then on a non work out day, when I do usually scrub the house, I count that. I *really* hate it telling me I am over my calories for the day - its totally psychological. =P so I log that heavy cleaning or if I was double booked at he salon and running around crazy trying to get everything done, which does make me sweat.

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