is it cheating to add cleaning to exercise log?

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mrshickey
mrshickey Posts: 239
in Fitness and Exercise
i only ask this because i havent really seen it on anyone elses news feed very often. I dont mean the usual washing up day to day stuff. today i did the whole flat, vacuuming dusting scrubbing, putting things away (alot of things lol), scrubbing kitchen cupboards, floors, for over 4 hrs, though i logged it as 2 hrs. my daily activity is usually sedentary so would you consider me adding these calories as 'cheating'?? opinions pls

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  • hsh0927
    hsh0927 Posts: 259 Member
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    I do it when I clean for an hour or more...
  • rockylucas
    rockylucas Posts: 343 Member
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    If your lifestyle is sedentary, and this was an exhausting endeavour, (and it sounds like it was), then it would be cheating to NOT log it, as you would be in danger of going under on your calories :)
  • bjshooter
    bjshooter Posts: 1,174 Member
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    I added it at first if it was a massive clean, don't bother anymore, its a bonus.

    I do add gardening and painting the house though.
  • AZKristi
    AZKristi Posts: 1,801 Member
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    If you indicated you are sedentary then it would be appropriate to include these calories. If you had indicated you were active or lightly active then it probably would not be.
  • ajbeans
    ajbeans Posts: 2,857 Member
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    You can't cheat. Your body burns calories, and it consumes them. It keeps an accurate log whether you do or not. If you worked hard, you probably burned enough to count it. I tend to log it when it's active cleaning, because it does burn calls. But whether you log it or not, your body knows. You can't really 'cheat' here.
  • AlyssaAmes3
    AlyssaAmes3 Posts: 26 Member
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    If your activity level is set low such as sedentary I think if you really worked up a sweat go ahead and add it in. However, I wouldn't do it all the time. It definitely will not replace a good workout. If your like me, I set my activity level as sedentary, but I am a stay at home mother and highly doubt that I am sedentary. I have it set that way so I am stricter with myself so on the days that I do go over by a little it doesn't hurt me as badly. So I do not log my cleaning as exercise even if I scrub the whole house. I just log "real" exercise. However, I think it is total acceptable under the righ circumstances :)
  • amkelley
    amkelley Posts: 81
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    I dont normally log it when it is my usual cleaning. But if I go the extra mile- I might. I know that when I clean the carpets when using the steam cleaner I do log it because it is way out of my usual movement and takes me a long time to do the whole house. So for me, spring/fall cleaning- yes I log it....weekly cleaning- no.
  • chyloet
    chyloet Posts: 196 Member
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    I would say that if you're heart rate is elevated for a substantial period of time then you're good to log it. I don't log it but wear my heart rate monitor and keep mental note. lol!
  • Deathwithab
    Deathwithab Posts: 462 Member
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    I'm sweating and getting out of breath after I'm done heck yes I logg it as a workout lol
  • adross3
    adross3 Posts: 606 Member
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    I burn 90 calories just sitting on my my ... every hour. When I do laundry I burn an additional 65 cals for the hour.. After a couple of hours it ads up. Now I know that I can eat more and in return have more energy. So, I burned an even 200 cals doing laundry in an hour and some change. You bet I'm going to log that. A calorie is a calorie.
  • SCC88
    SCC88 Posts: 215 Member
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    If you indicated you are sedentary then it would be appropriate to include these calories. If you had indicated you were active or lightly active then it probably would not be.

    ^this, when you are sedentary you should be logging all those day to day things xx
  • CroutonPirate
    CroutonPirate Posts: 1
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    I don't think it is. You're moving around (which helps) and you can even incorpate some excercises to some chores. For example, when doing laundry, you can use full bottles of laundry detergent for lifting weights or you do squats while folding laundry (please note that I got these ideas from a TV show I don't clearly recall). I'm sure there are many other excercises you can incorporate into cleaning.
  • mrshickey
    mrshickey Posts: 239
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    thanks for your replies. i am sedentary at uni sittin on my butt in lectures for hrs on end. then if i work part time its on a checkout so sitting again. never had a weight problem really when i did bar work, lol!!!! also, due to healh problems over the last few months ive been lying down and sitting alot!!! its nice to know others log it too!!!
  • Pangea250
    Pangea250 Posts: 965 Member
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    I log only heavy duty cleaning. The kind of stuff I only do 4 or 5 times a year. I consider the other cleaning to be part of overall activity level.
  • LolaVaantz
    LolaVaantz Posts: 74 Member
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    My rule of thumb....If it made me sweat or raised my heart rate, then yes it should be counted.
    I cleaned my garage as one of the very first things I ever logged on MFP, I was a sweaty beast and was really happy to know it was worth something other than parking the truck inside before the weather gets bad.
    Today, i'm going to count landscaping the front yard, I figure digging holes for 4 trees, 3 bushes, 4 bags of 50 pound pea gravel, 3 bags of 20 pound bark and some random raking is at least worth a couple hundred calories.
    :bigsmile:
  • xMissAprilx
    xMissAprilx Posts: 143 Member
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    Not at all. You're burning calories. :) I will log it if its a real "srub down" day, otherwise I don't anymore. I just know I did it.
  • mrsmccullen07
    mrsmccullen07 Posts: 159
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    I listed myself as sedentary when I started but on Tuesday this week I literally spent all day moving furniture and scrubbing walls and floors I listed it but didn't eat back the calories my normal day to day cleaning isn't included but that day I was soaked in sweat all day lol so I included it

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