Counting Exercise Calories

HappyLuna
HappyLuna Posts: 112
edited October 1 in Fitness and Exercise
Do you count exercise calories for things like walking, cleaning ect?

Personally I don't, and I don't think its a good thing to do as these are daily tasks we should all be doing without counting it towards our 'exercise'. I can understand people who are new to exercise and have a lot to lose counting walking calories but I don't think its something which should always be done.

Just my opinion but interested in what others do.

Replies

  • sharonuk10
    sharonuk10 Posts: 277
    Well I for one do count walking.. because I do a walking and jog routine 3-4 times a week and walking IS exercise.. I also will count cleaning if I do more than 30 mins worth. I do hate when people say this and that is not exercise.. right it isn't exercise in the usual form but if you have your activity level as sedentary, which I do, then it can be exercise because your are not sitting on your BUTT!! With that said I do not eat those calories back any more since my diary is set for 2000 cals so no need for me to eat them.
  • debswebby
    debswebby Posts: 326
    I don't count normal daily activity as exercise. Whatever anyone says how many calories housework burns up, it will be 10 times less for me because I don't put enough effort in :happy:
    Anyway, if you count normal activities then what about counting the amount of calories burned sitting at the computer typing this? What about the amount of calories burned while you sleep? See? it gets silly. No, exercise is the stuff you do that's besides the normal walking around and general living.
    That's what I think anyway :ohwell: :smile:
  • jcannon15
    jcannon15 Posts: 148
    if im scrubbing my apartment from floor to ceiling, then yes i'll count the calories i also count walking my dogs but normal day to day activity i dont count.
  • sharonuk10
    sharonuk10 Posts: 277
    I don't count normal daily activity as exercise. Whatever anyone says how many calories housework burns up, it will be 10 times less for me because I don't put enough effort in :happy:
    Anyway, if you count normal activities then what about counting the amount of calories burned sitting at the computer typing this? What about the amount of calories burned while you sleep? See? it gets silly. No, exercise is the stuff you do that's besides the normal walking around and general living.
    That's what I think anyway :ohwell: :smile:

    I find it odd that I have lost 77 pounds with this sort of stuff (walking and cleaning) counting as exercise and yes at the time I ate those calories back. I do not count cleaning every day only when I do a major clean like this morning where I spent 90 mins putting the sparkle back in my kitchen. My exercise as mentioned IS walking so I do not see why that is not considered exercise. IF it isn't then all those people who go to a gym and walk on a treadmill should not consider that exercise either!!
  • redfroggie
    redfroggie Posts: 591 Member
    I think if walking is a part of your exercising then certainly count it. Walking to my friends house for coffee (2 blocks) I don't count. When I go to the gym I walk from the bus depot to the gym, it's about 17 minutes and I count that as my warm up but don't count those calories. However every other day a friend and I go on a 30-60 minute dog walk and I do count that! Today will be a whole house cleaning sort of day, and I will count that because I will sweat my tushie off (not that my house is dirty but I'm a bit of a clean freak!)
  • DoncasterPhotography
    DoncasterPhotography Posts: 147 Member
    i dont count general day to day activities. I log walking if and when it been an all day thing. Such as walking round a wildelife park pushing a pushchair with a 15kg photography rucksack on my back.

    Even then, I dont log the whole hours. I leave a few off to account for stop start periods. e.g 8 hours in the park, log 5 hours.

    IMO, the key phrase here is "Purposeful Exercise". If you sit down, at the end of the day, and work through your movements "oh i walked up the stairs 6 times, today, to go to the bathroom" then NO dont count it.

    If you sit down BEFORE doing something, with the mindset of "im gonna blitz this houework in 20 mins, then power walk to the shops, get the groceries, and power walk back" then YES.. count it.

    I do feel, however, that some log each and every movement they do, from heavy house cleaning to wiping their *kitten*.
  • debswebby
    debswebby Posts: 326
    I only don't count the calories from normal every day activities because I put so little effort into it, its not worth counting. The other day I walked to meet my friends and back. It took me 20 minutes and MFP said that burned 89 calories. I know it didn't because I was walking far slower than 2mph. Its just a personal thing. Anyone else who actually moves in their day to day activities should count it.
    The amount of calories I would burn cleaning the house would be the same as when I'm sleeping. Not worth counting.
  • Kate6868
    Kate6868 Posts: 159 Member
    In order to count calories from cleaning, I would have to actually clean, so that's out. I don't count walking if it is part of my every day activities, but I do count it when I specifically go out the door to walk for exercise (it is my main and consistent form of exercise. What's funny is that I also lift weights at the gym, but never count that.
  • HisBeloved65
    HisBeloved65 Posts: 186
    I don't count normal daily activity as exercise. Whatever anyone says how many calories housework burns up, it will be 10 times less for me because I don't put enough effort in :happy:
    Anyway, if you count normal activities then what about counting the amount of calories burned sitting at the computer typing this? What about the amount of calories burned while you sleep? See? it gets silly. No, exercise is the stuff you do that's besides the normal walking around and general living.
    That's what I think anyway :ohwell: :smile:

    I find it odd that I have lost 77 pounds with this sort of stuff (walking and cleaning) counting as exercise and yes at the time I ate those calories back. I do not count cleaning every day only when I do a major clean like this morning where I spent 90 mins putting the sparkle back in my kitchen. My exercise as mentioned IS walking so I do not see why that is not considered exercise. IF it isn't then all those people who go to a gym and walk on a treadmill should not consider that exercise either!!

    walking is cardio- therefore it is exercise and should be counted. Walking is the best thing I do. It burns a lot of calories. I agree with you. I also only count other activities if my heart is really working out and it is out of the ordinary.
  • NotGoddess
    NotGoddess Posts: 1,198 Member
    I think it depends on what shape you are in. You gotta remember there is a full range of people here, from regular marathoners and body builders to people who are very obese, even morbidly obese. For the latter moving around a little more than normal and cleaning can be significant exercise! For you walking up two flights of stairs is an every day occurrence, but for them it's an accomplishment and I think they should log it, if only to see the progress they are making.

    For me, I don't count anything I do on a regular basis but if I spend the afternoon mowing with my reel or cleaning out my closets then it is above and beyond my normal sedentary burn so yes, I do count it.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    If I walk for exercise I definitely count it. But I don't count cleaning, unless it's an unusual massive task such as cleaning out the attic or garage, and I don't count everyday walking (from house to car, car to store, etc.). I also count gardening if it's heavy duty, such as lugging bags of dirt or fertilizer or using that "claw" thing, but not everyday gardening such as pulling weeds or gathering harvest.
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
    Walking though is a form a exercise, if you are purposefully doing it. If your just walking around the store/mall/amusement park, then no I wouldn't count it. When I go out for a 45-60 minute two mile walk or walk on the treadmill at the gym for 30 min, then yes it gets counted.

    I also count my weight training even tho people tell say not too.. because it's calories burned, even if it isn't many.
  • japruzze
    japruzze Posts: 453 Member
    I don't count walking to the car, around the office/house, etc. I do count walking when I'm doing it for exercise...5 mile walk out and about or 60 min walking on a treadmill. I do track steps a few days a week to make sure I'm moving on days I don't exercise. I try to get to at least 5,000 a day, closer to 10,000 is preferred. I don't count those as exercise...just something I do.
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