how many of you use....

nickinackynoo
nickinackynoo Posts: 23
edited October 1 in Fitness and Exercise
bit of a random question now but how many of you use:

cooking & food prep
cleaning
Walking up stairs
Carrying your child/ pushing your child in a pushchair

as exercise entries?
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Replies

  • AlsDonkBoxSquat
    AlsDonkBoxSquat Posts: 6,128 Member
    I don't use these as they are a part of my daily life, but if they weren't I wouldn't think twice about using them.
  • shreddin_mama
    shreddin_mama Posts: 1,076 Member
    i used pushing my child. I take my two girls on long walks that requires pushing a stroller up a few hills. that is a workout!
  • RunHardBeStrong
    RunHardBeStrong Posts: 33,069 Member
    I don't use these as they are a part of my daily life, but if they weren't I wouldn't think twice about using them.

    ^ this for me as well.
  • TubbsMcGee
    TubbsMcGee Posts: 1,058 Member
    I log these every day.

    I have my exercise on here set to as low as it will go, so logging what I'm doing makes me seem less lazy.

    Plus I like to look back and see which days I cleaned the house...
  • tambink
    tambink Posts: 349
    I have used cleaning not really regular cleaning but extra harder cleaning but thats all
  • Jennloella
    Jennloella Posts: 2,286 Member
    nope don't count them. I calculate my calories based on an active lifestyle, so then if I counted everything as exercise I'd be "burning" twice as much as I really was. I only count exercise as exercise, I think trying to add stuff like that is silly. Now the pushing kids up a hill thing though, sounds like a work out. but I don't count carrying my five year old up the driveway from the car, ya know?
  • fbmandy55
    fbmandy55 Posts: 5,263 Member
    I use cleaning, yardwork and pushing a stroller. They are not things I do on a daily basis, therefore I log them if they are over 20 mins. .
  • Hellbent_Heidi
    Hellbent_Heidi Posts: 3,669 Member
    No way...nothing that is a 'normal' activity, because they've always been a part of my day, and doesn't count as burning extra calories. I only count when I do a real workout, even though I go up and down a flight of stairs probably 6-8 times a day at work. I don't think most of those things burn enough calories to count them.
  • landorki
    landorki Posts: 93 Member
    I use cleaning and food prep as one. I have my activity level set as sedentary... because I work in an office job. BUT when I get home... there is always something to do! If I am doing a really good cleaning where I have to move the couches around and tables to vacuum under there... I will use the carrying boxes and or moving household items.
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
    I log nothing but "workouts" not even walking the dog (or the small children).
  • russelljclarke
    russelljclarke Posts: 836 Member
    I figure they're registered in MFPs normal BMR rate, so I only log it it's SERIOUSLY heavy going. BTW, try jogging up and down stairs - you'll want to log that one after you've tried it!
  • nickinackynoo
    nickinackynoo Posts: 23
    I cook every night and walk 90% of the time, which i have been entering as walking at 2-3mph pace for the length of time i walk for, usually 40 minutes 3 - 4 times a week.

    but should i be adding the "walking with a pushchair" as well??

    My son weighs 2 st & I carry his nursery bag which would probably be about 5lb-ish....
  • wickedcricket
    wickedcricket Posts: 1,246 Member
    I use the walking up stairs IF I'm on them a lot (15 mins or more) I use walking/jogging on the stairs at my complex as exercise because I read it's a great workout, one of the best you can do. Athletes train by running up stairs - if it's good enough for them, it's good enough for me.
    I DON'T count the normal walking up & down I do every day but when I wear my HRM, use proper form (don't hang on the bannister) and walk or jog continuously for 15 mins or more.
  • pa_jorg
    pa_jorg Posts: 4,404 Member
    I don't and I wouldn't unless they were really a challenge physically. For someone who has a serious amount to lose these might be the best workouts they can manage. If that's the case, I say log away.
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
    The only one I've ever used is "cleaning" and it was after a day of scrubbing floors on my hands and knees, scrubbing walls, moving furniture, etc. I was sweating, my heart was pounding... it was exercise (and definitely NOT something I do all the time! LOL).

    I also count lawn mowing since I don't do it all the time and my push mower is like pushing a tank - it is NOT self propelled or anything like that. It is an old style mower that seriously weighs a ton and doesn't move very well through even the shortest grass. It makes my arms go numb because I have to use so much force with it.

    Other than those two things? I don't log any of it.
  • russelljclarke
    russelljclarke Posts: 836 Member
    Just read the walking dog one. Depends on how long and how fast really. A quick stroll down the town isn't worth logging IMHO, but an hours pavement pounding at 3.5 mph is.
  • landorki
    landorki Posts: 93 Member
    No way...nothing that is a 'normal' activity, because they've always been a part of my day, and doesn't count as burning extra calories. I only count when I do a real workout, even though I go up and down a flight of stairs probably 6-8 times a day at work. I don't think most of those things burn enough calories to count them.

    You would be quite surprised! picking up around the house no... but every week I do a HUGE cleaning... breaking a sweat and really cleaning house! I log that!
  • sweetCJ
    sweetCJ Posts: 144
    Walking up stairs is part of my workout, but the stairs I have at home, I don't count cause I've been doing them before I started working out and I never lost weight because of those... Cleaning house and cooking is part of your everyday living. I never use to take the stairs at work (I'm on the 7th floor), I use to take the elevators, but I've decided to take the stairs everytime I need to go up or down...so I think that falls into the category of exercise for now.
  • maritza327
    maritza327 Posts: 100 Member
    I use cleaning for exercise. I strapped on my HRM last week...did 2 hrs of on my knees scrubbing the floor type of cleaning and I actually burned 917 in those two hours of major house cleaning.
  • lauramorris85
    lauramorris85 Posts: 87
    I do the cleaning one as I only clean my one bedroom apartment once a week for a few hours. Other than that, I don't bother with it.
  • meerkat70
    meerkat70 Posts: 4,605 Member
    I don't log these, though I do do most of them every day.... I have my activity level set to lightly active to take this kind of day to day stuff into account, and I log exercise I do with the intention of exercising.
  • odusgolp
    odusgolp Posts: 10,477 Member
    If cleaning is prolonged and causing me to sweat, I will log it. Cause I'm a lazy cow and it's likely to actually make me sore the next day.


    Don't judge me. :noway:
  • nickinackynoo
    nickinackynoo Posts: 23
    Thanks ladies.

    I will admit that i have been & will be continuing to use "walking at 3 or 3.5mph" as i do power on when i'm walking to work, plus its lots of up & down.

    I didn't think cooking & food prep would count as i cook every day.

    Thank you
  • meerkat70
    meerkat70 Posts: 4,605 Member
    Just read the walking dog one. Depends on how long and how fast really. A quick stroll down the town isn't worth logging IMHO, but an hours pavement pounding at 3.5 mph is.

    We walk our dogs 60-120 minutes every day, walking 3-4 mph. I certainly do log that as exercise!

    I usually do a proper workout on top of that, most days, as well. And sometimes factor a run into the dog walk. Depends how life is on a particular day.
  • Munched
    Munched Posts: 14 Member
    Can only speak for myself but being too lenient on myself got me into the chubby position I now find myself in!! In no way should anything other than workouts be included. Pushing strollers might be hard work but is a normal activity of daily living as is house work. Let's not kid ourselves, let's be kind to ourselves and lead the healthy lives we deserve.
  • iAMaPhoenix
    iAMaPhoenix Posts: 1,038 Member
    If cleaning is prolonged and causing me to sweat, I will log it. Cause I'm a lazy cow and it's likely to actually make me sore the next day.


    Don't judge me. :noway:
    Are you saying you log every activity that cause you to sweat? You honor, I introduce exhibit one. Here is a "video" of Odus sweating and I do not see a log in her exercise diary. I think she should be sentenced to daily spankings...lol.
  • unmitigatedbadassery
    unmitigatedbadassery Posts: 653 Member
    I only use cleaning if it's something that requires more effort than day-to-day stuff. I will log mowing the yard though.
  • Hellbent_Heidi
    Hellbent_Heidi Posts: 3,669 Member
    No way...nothing that is a 'normal' activity, because they've always been a part of my day, and doesn't count as burning extra calories. I only count when I do a real workout, even though I go up and down a flight of stairs probably 6-8 times a day at work. I don't think most of those things burn enough calories to count them.

    You would be quite surprised! picking up around the house no... but every week I do a HUGE cleaning... breaking a sweat and really cleaning house! I log that!

    But if you do it every week, isn't this something your body is used to? I probably break a sweat when I'm vacuuming everything and washing floors too, but just don't think its a real workout.

    But..if it works for you, then log away. I'm just saying, I don't consider it to be much of one (and I'd never eat extra calories to compensate for these things). My profile is set to 'sedentary' because I work a desk job, but I would never count the stairs or the long walk from the parking lot, since I do it 5 days a week. IMO, if you never got off the couch to clean before you came on this site, then maybe it would count, but if its something you were doing while you gained weight in the first place, then its probably not helping you now.

    I agree if you take your dog (or kids) out for a good long walk, and you're getting your heart rate up and keeping it there for a while, that should be counted....but I draw the line at counting pushing a cart around the grocery store, making the bed, and things like that.
  • PecanTanDiva
    PecanTanDiva Posts: 162
    I will log these in if I do something out of the ordinary or really heavy... and wear my HRM

    Deep clean the carpets in my house (4 Bedrooms, living and dining area)

    Re-arrange my living (sectional and 67 inch TV with stand), dining (cleaning the walls) & bedrooms (1 king, 2 Full, 1 Queen size beds)

    Scrub the floors on my hands and knees (kitchen, hallways, 2 1/2 bathrooms & foyer)

    Mow the lawn (Hubby usually does this)

    I say knock yourself out if you're losing weight and you want to add this, then do it.
  • PecanTanDiva
    PecanTanDiva Posts: 162
    I add sex too. I had my HRM on just because Hubby and I wanted to see how many calories can be burned doing that :blushing:
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