The "Cleaning" entry under Exercises

peraltapiano · August 2017

Long post... a basic TLDR is, how do you feel about the Cleaning exercise entry?

I do all of the cleaning in our apartment because my boyfriend takes hours to clean anything and complains throughout. But I noticed, in the Exercises category, that there is a Cleaning / Tidying entry for calisthenics.

That seems pretty broad given how diverse cleaning tasks can be. Washing dishes and folding / putting away laundry may seem similar but they really only require concentration. Moving boxes, vacuuming or mopping, and cleaning surfaces like windows, counters, and the shower... could not be more different in their demands. I think I expend a bit more scrubbing the toilet than I do putting books away, lol.

I guess I'm just really mystified that its allowed in the database. What is your take on this? How is such an odd concept as a set amount of calories burned by ~cleaning~ even calculated in the Calisthenics category?

And I'll add, it's really attractive for lazy me. I used the entry as a sort of hurrah when we moved in a couple weeks ago to congratulate myself on effort spent, adding I think 1/3 of the time I really cleaned under the "minutes" section because I know all exercise entries are very inaccurate. But after a lot of contemplation (and more cleaning...) I personally just think it's wrong. I think it should be deleted.

lorrpb · August 2017

Cleaning is not purposeful exercise. Account for in your daily activity level in MFP or take it as bonus burn. That's how I feel about it per your question.

Ready2Rock206 · August 2017

There's a lot of things in the database that are not purposeful exercise. There's also a lot of people who log them and eat back the calories then come here asking why they aren't losing weight or even gaining weight. Cleaning is accounted for in your daily activity. Personally I'd never log it, but I have seen people get very upset that anyone suggests they shouldn't. If you're losing too rapidly and want to log it then good, but if you start having issues losing then that's one place to adjust by not logging it.

atjays · August 2017

I'll never log something like that. That's like logging that I walked for 2 minutes from my car to my building at work or to the store. There's even entries for driving a car.....All that falls under daily adulting as far as I'm concerned. People that log things like that are just looking for excuses to justify something.

cmriverside · August 2017

atjays wrote: »

I'll never log something like that. That's like logging that I walked for 2 minutes from my car to my building at work or to the store. There's even entries for driving a car.....All that falls under daily adulting as far as I'm concerned. People that log things like that are just looking for excuses to justify something.

That something is likely more food.

I used to look for ways to eat more food. Then I just adjusted my daily calories up a couple hundred. Turns out, I needed more food.

goldthistime · August 2017

cmriverside wrote: »

atjays wrote: »

I'll never log something like that. That's like logging that I walked for 2 minutes from my car to my building at work or to the store. There's even entries for driving a car.....All that falls under daily adulting as far as I'm concerned. People that log things like that are just looking for excuses to justify something.

That something is likely more food.

I used to look for ways to eat more food. Then I just adjusted my daily calories up a couple hundred. Turns out, I needed more food.

Me too. I was fine on days where I exercised, but on days where I had no exercise but did lots of housework I was uncomfortably hungry. Choosing cleaning as an activity on those days seems just fine to me. As does upping your daily and eating a little less of your exercise calories, which is what I ultimately did.

victory68 · August 2017

I really only log it for moving cleaning if I am trying to justify the pizza they provided or something. It has to be a few hours of very intense scrubbing for me to log it but I still like that it's there just for the amusement

Christine_72 · August 2017

My house isn't big enough to justify cleaning as an exercise.

I only log actual exercise, not something I've done regularly since i was a teenager, eg house cleaning/housework.

HeliumIsNoble · August 2017

Some people end up doing more cleaning on one day or another than would normally be accounted for in their daily activity level. For those times, there is a cleaning entry.

Some people have part-time jobs as cleaners, and I think logging those hours of cleaning on Tuesday evening works the same way as logging 45 minutes of jogging on Tuesday evening.

Also, there are people on here who are trying to put on weight, and don't want unexpected "bonus burn". There are also people here to lose weight, who may find they are losing weight faster than they want some weeks. Again, these people don't want unexpected bonus burns.

I am currently losing weight a bit slower than I want, so I wouldn't log a couple of extra hours of intense cleaning. If I was losing weight faster than I wanted (which has happened) I would log the cleaning to give me a ballpark figure on how much to eat.

VeronicaA76 · August 2017

I cleaned my yard today, including removing a dead tree. That is serious cleaning. Now regular cleaning probably shouldn't be counted. Doing something out of the ordinary or that requires a lot of effort (rewaxing hardwood floors by hand), then yes add that. Doing daily chores, probably not.

sarahthes · August 2017

Honestly I just wear a fitness tracker and account for it that way.

lorrpb · August 2017

The MFP database is obviously a standard database of most human activity that they've tapped into.bits not specially created for MFP users and the calorie counting methodology on this site. Just because it's in The database doesn't mean it's ok to log it if you're wanting to lose weight.

Momepro · August 2017

I do, when I don't have my watch on, because I'm not counting steps at the time. Or if I do more cleaning tban usual.
But for me, dishes and laundry aren't merely concentration, they are alot of standing and bending, which on some days can be much more difficult than others.

JeromeBarry1 · August 2017

I'll know when to log "cleaning" light or heavy, as exercise. Loading the dishwasher and loading/unloading the laundry isn't it for me.

bbell1985 · August 2017

If I did it when I was fat, I ain't gonna count it as exercise when I am trying to lose weight. Seems counterproductive because it is.

jennybearlv · August 2017

I'm a housewife and probably do much more cleaning than the average person. It is not unusual for me to get 8000 steps just doing work around the house and yard. I use an activity tracker, but if I didn't have one I would still feel justified eating a few hundred back everyday. Though it would probably make more sense to change my activity level than to log the cleaning activity.

HeliumIsNoble · August 2017

peraltapiano wrote: »

Long post... a basic TLDR is, how do you feel about the Cleaning exercise entry?

I do all of the cleaning in our apartment because my boyfriend takes hours to clean anything and complains throughout. But I noticed, in the Exercises category, that there is a Cleaning / Tidying entry for calisthenics.

That seems pretty broad given how diverse cleaning tasks can be. Washing dishes and folding / putting away laundry may seem similar but they really only require concentration. Moving boxes, vacuuming or mopping, and cleaning surfaces like windows, counters, and the shower... could not be more different in their demands. I think I expend a bit more scrubbing the toilet than I do putting books away, lol.

I guess I'm just really mystified that its allowed in the database. What is your take on this? How is such an odd concept as a set amount of calories burned by ~cleaning~ even calculated in the Calisthenics category?

And I'll add, it's really attractive for lazy me. I used the entry as a sort of hurrah when we moved in a couple weeks ago to congratulate myself on effort spent, adding I think 1/3 of the time I really cleaned under the "minutes" section because I know all exercise entries are very inaccurate. But after a lot of contemplation (and more cleaning...) I personally just think it's wrong. I think it should be deleted.

Just noticed this.

So, on a thread where we discuss what constitutes basic adulting and what you should log, we have a bloke who uses whinging and taking ages over tasks to get out of adulting. Ironic.

I have a son who tries that method. He's eight years old though, and I am confident he will learn to clear up after himself automatically in the next ten years. I certainly won't be going round to clear up after him when he leaves home, and I will be very disappointed in him if he cons a girlfriend into doing it.

I know this isn't a relationship thread, but just, have a think about it. And don't focus on reproaching yourself for logging doing all the cleaning for two people's mess.

Muscleflex79 · August 2017

HeliumIsNoble wrote: »

peraltapiano wrote: »

Long post... a basic TLDR is, how do you feel about the Cleaning exercise entry?

I do all of the cleaning in our apartment because my boyfriend takes hours to clean anything and complains throughout. But I noticed, in the Exercises category, that there is a Cleaning / Tidying entry for calisthenics.

That seems pretty broad given how diverse cleaning tasks can be. Washing dishes and folding / putting away laundry may seem similar but they really only require concentration. Moving boxes, vacuuming or mopping, and cleaning surfaces like windows, counters, and the shower... could not be more different in their demands. I think I expend a bit more scrubbing the toilet than I do putting books away, lol.

I guess I'm just really mystified that its allowed in the database. What is your take on this? How is such an odd concept as a set amount of calories burned by ~cleaning~ even calculated in the Calisthenics category?

And I'll add, it's really attractive for lazy me. I used the entry as a sort of hurrah when we moved in a couple weeks ago to congratulate myself on effort spent, adding I think 1/3 of the time I really cleaned under the "minutes" section because I know all exercise entries are very inaccurate. But after a lot of contemplation (and more cleaning...) I personally just think it's wrong. I think it should be deleted.

Just noticed this.

So, on a thread where we discuss what constitutes basic adulting and what you should log, we have a bloke who uses whinging and taking ages over tasks to get out of adulting. Ironic.

I have a son who tries that method. He's eight years old though, and I am confident he will learn to clear up after himself automatically in the next ten years. I certainly won't be going round to clear up after him when he leaves home, and I will be very disappointed in him if he cons a girlfriend into doing it.

I know this isn't a relationship thread, but just, have a think about it. And don't focus on reproaching yourself for logging doing all the cleaning for two people's mess.

I was thinking the same...is her bf 10 years old?

Lounmoun · August 2017

I believe I logged cleaning when I cleaned out my basement after it flooded. I don't log what is part of my normal activity level though.

There are lots of exercise choices in the database that might not describe effort very well or make sense. You can log playing a musical instrument or gym, misc for example. You have to make up your own mind what will be useful for you to log.

rainbowbow · August 2017

bbell1985 wrote: »

If I did it when I was fat, I ain't gonna count it as exercise when I am trying to lose weight. Seems counterproductive because it is.

This.

And this is exactly why I make a point to go on every thread asking about logging some *non-exercise-thing* as exercise. Quite frankly its far too easy to over-estimate the calories burned with exercise and under-estimate the calories eaten that it rarely is beneficial to your long term success.

Loug1983 · August 2017

I think it really depends on how much cleaning you're talking about.

I wear a fitness tracker now, but when I first started out I would log cleaning as exercise, not the everyday doing the dishes or doing laundry, but sometimes I will spend the entire day moving furniture to vacuum, mop, scrubbing etc.

I would not consider this my everyday activity, because I don't do it everyday. Maybe that makes me lazy, clearly some of you have immaculate houses, or maybe it makes me greedy for thinking if I've spent the entire day cleaning then I've probably earned a few extra calories, either way i can definitely see why people would log cleaning as exercise.

Like with all things in the database it would be wise to assume the estimate given is high, and I would hope people aren't naive enough to think they can log every household task and still lose weight, but I don't think it's a bad thing that it's listed in the database.

The "Cleaning" entry under Exercises

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