The "Cleaning" entry under Exercises

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  • ShrinkingViolet1982
    ShrinkingViolet1982 Posts: 919 Member
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    Personally, when I was larger, any housecleaning beyond basic tidying made my heart rate spike, I got into a sweat, and it was exercise. So when I did the "big" house cleaning days, I logged it because it was exercise. Now that I am smaller, those things don't spike my heart or make me break a sweat, so it doesn't make any difference to my weight loss and I don't log it.
  • SuzySunshine99
    SuzySunshine99 Posts: 2,984 Member
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    General, everyday cleaning, no. It's just a part of regular daily activities. I only would log it if I was doing particularly heavy all-day cleaning, including moving furniture and such.
  • erika_307
    erika_307 Posts: 82 Member
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    I do log cleaning when it's the type that gets my heart rate up and makes me sweat... and Even then, i log it as "light to moderate cleaning". I do not log my normal daily cleaning like vacuuming, dishes, laundry, etc.
  • MakePeasNotWar
    MakePeasNotWar Posts: 1,329 Member
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    If I'm going to be cleaning consistently, I add it to my activity level. When I was ill it was actually more conservative to set my activity level to sedentary and add back all activity on the days I was able to do it. If I'd been trying to lose I might have just considered it a "bonus" but I wanted to maintain, so I tried to be as accurate as possible.

    The one huge caveat is that the entries are for total calories expended, so to be accurate, I subtracted my sedentary TDEE per hour from the entries. This way, stuff like hatha yoga or light cleaning added dozens of calories to my target, not hundreds.

  • goldthistime
    goldthistime Posts: 3,214 Member
    edited August 2017
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    MakePeasNotWar wrote: »
    If I'm going to be cleaning consistently, I add it to my activity level. When I was ill it was actually more conservative to set my activity level to sedentary and add back all activity on the days I was able to do it. If I'd been trying to lose I might have just considered it a "bonus" but I wanted to maintain, so I tried to be as accurate as possible.

    The one huge caveat is that the entries are for total calories expended, so to be accurate, I subtracted my sedentary TDEE per hour from the entries. This way, stuff like hatha yoga or light cleaning added dozens of calories to my target, not hundreds.

    I've often thought that was a good idea for ANY entry. (IE subtract your TDEE from the calories burned)

  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
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    eyer0ll wrote: »
    How many calories do I burn while folding laundry for 14 hours while stifling the seething resentment I feel towards my spouse for not helping? That's got to be around 1500, right????

    You have too many people in the house or you're too slow if it takes 14 hours to fold laundry.
  • sugarstrawberries
    sugarstrawberries Posts: 140 Member
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    I like to log any activity that gets my heart rate up, including deep cleaning. However, I also change the "calories burned" to 1 so I don't eat anything back at all. It just keeps me on track to log my activities. It's important to me to keep a divide between exercise and weight loss.
  • jennybearlv
    jennybearlv Posts: 1,519 Member
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    Muscleflex79 wrote: »
    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?

    You both must come from one of those generations where young people did chores. My husband grew up rich and spoiled and it is absolutely easier if I just do the cleaning. Though, I do think the workload needs to balance out or somebody is going to end up resentful. I hope the BF is doing all the cooking or taking care of more of the bills to make up for all the extra work the OP is putting in.
  • vespiquenn
    vespiquenn Posts: 1,455 Member
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    I used the entry years ago when I was uneducated on both losing weight and true activity levels.

    Now I let my Fitbit figure it out. Even then, I'm careful in case it records non-steps.

    I typically just view those who use the entry as possibly misinformed on how activity levels work, but unless they ask for input, I don't say anything. For some it works, for others it doesn't.
  • peraltapiano
    peraltapiano Posts: 26 Member
    edited August 2017
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    Popping back in to say thanks for all of your personal insights with using this entry to reach your goals, or not. It is interesting to read how quite a few people have used it vs. the activity level system.

    eta Although I am even more curious now about how on Earth the burns are calculated to fit every logger. Time to lurk for equations.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
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    If I logged, I'd occasionally log cleaning, but only for big jobs like cleaning out the garage or attic or spring cleaning.
  • peraltapiano
    peraltapiano Posts: 26 Member
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    CyberTone wrote: »
    peraltapiano wrote: »
    Popping back in...

    Most online activity...

    Wow, so thorough! Thank you for taking the time to write such a complete explanation. Do you think, in reference to the Compendium the METs values are based on, it might be useful to replicate their original findings from the 80s? Do you think the update in 2011 was just that?

    But! I'm too greedy. Back on topic. If I understand MFP is off in its calculations because it would be, generally, much more likely that while someone is exercising they take a 60 second breather, or may have a transition cool down if they're in a class... But still log the complete time spent on the main activity. That's a pretty big ah-ha for me, as previously I was logging off the assumption that because I did not know the method of calculation, I should cut the overall time of activity spent as well.

    So, my calculations should look like this:
    1330/1440 = .9 cal/min, so for a half hour run I should - 27.7 from my estimated burn, or more, depending on whether I feel like I maintained a steady, consistant pace (such as 4mi/hr). That is extremely helpful. I don't think 55cal/hour is that difficult of a number for me to remember. :smile:
  • MoveitlikeManda
    MoveitlikeManda Posts: 846 Member
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    Iv never understood it, clean is part of life not a workout.

    And like Iv said on posts before is cleaning and putting washing away was a great calorie burner with 5 kids a husband and 2 dogs to run around after and sort washing for Id be under weight :D

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