does this count as exercise?

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susanpowterfan
susanpowterfan Posts: 3
in Fitness and Exercise
I am a cleaner and I clean offices, it takes me around 2 hours per day to do my circuit. I dont really get up a sweat, so would it count as exercise?

Replies

  • deekaydee
    deekaydee Posts: 158 Member
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    I wouldn't count it as exercise; rather incorporate it into your activity level. Perhaps lightly active instead of sedentary, depending on what your other regular daily activity is like.
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
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    I would increase my activity level and not count it as exercise. Since it is your job and something you do regularly, your body is accustomed to doing it. I work on my feet 4 days a week for 9 hours each day. I make sure my activity level reflects it since I rarely have my heart rate up AND I know after 5 yrs of doing it? My body is used to it.
  • yesiamaduck
    yesiamaduck Posts: 531 Member
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    Yes, it's very light exercise but is still exercise.. you'd probably burn 100 - 200kcals doing it

    But if it's been a part of your routine since you began your weight loss schedule then you shouldn't include it as increased activity.
  • katekrise
    katekrise Posts: 178 Member
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    No, I'd say count it as "lightly active" when you make your profile settings.
  • MissMaryMac33
    MissMaryMac33 Posts: 1,433 Member
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    If you do it every day as your job, I would change your activity level to lightly active instead of sedentary.
    Then track actual exercise -- like if you go to the gym and walk on the elliptical for an hour.
  • goldfinger88
    goldfinger88 Posts: 686 Member
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    You bet it does! Cleaning burns up lots of calories and often takes more effort than lifting weights. I suggest you could them or track them or at least put yourself down as "very active". After I do vigorous cleaning, I feel the same as I do after a weight lifting or cardio session --- sometimes more exhausted.

    You say you don't sweat --- that might be light cleaning. You'll have to judge that. But it's exercise.
  • jvan1957
    jvan1957 Posts: 114
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    It's up tou how you count your exercise but if you want to know about calorie burn try this site.. http://www.csgnetwork.com/caloriesactburned.html
  • BatedBreath84
    BatedBreath84 Posts: 7
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    Cleaning is light exercise so I count it towards my daily activities!
  • crystalinda
    crystalinda Posts: 151 Member
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    No not excercise. I see people who aren't cleaners log their household chores as excercise and log 100s of calories burned. I wonder what their progress is like since I consider this just part of normal routine and never log it. It just seems like another excuse to over-indulge caloricly since there is an excess of calories burned by this.

    I agree with others ,account for it in your activity level.
  • MissMaryMac33
    MissMaryMac33 Posts: 1,433 Member
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    It's up tou how you count your exercise but if you want to know about calorie burn try this site.. http://www.csgnetwork.com/caloriesactburned.html

    Get a heart rate monitor if you want to be accurate -- any site that tells you your burn is guessing.
  • daydream58
    daydream58 Posts: 572 Member
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    I really only count stuff I do for a specific period of time where I spend the entire time slightly out of breath. For me that is a cardio workout. If I'm doing something that makes me stronger but doesn't have me slightly out of breath, I count that as strength training only - or not at all. But later on I know the muscle strength will burn calories for me, so if I don't get a payoff now (in extra calories to eat) I know I will be paid back handsomely later when those muscles are burning calories for me 24/7

    Nice to know either way, you can't lose huh?
  • barleespringers
    barleespringers Posts: 61
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    I work 5 hours (on my feet) at a doggie daycare. I never count that as a workout.
  • LBlake12
    LBlake12 Posts: 16
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    I only count things like cleaning & yard work when they are well out of the ordinary. I assume even a sedentary activity level assumes a certain amount of daily activities and household chores. I also tend to under-report exercise in general on this site, because I find it's too generous for my apparently supernaturally-slow metabolism. ;)
  • barwood
    barwood Posts: 48 Member
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    Yes it is any movement burns calories. Get and HRM watch and it will tell you how many calories you are burning. But I would still do regular exercises also like cardio or something.I clean a two story office on Sundays and it takes me 3 hours and I am wore out when I finish I just got my HRM so I have not got to use it at work yet.But just preparing supper and walking around the house for the past two hours I have burned 219 calories.
  • rosebarnalice
    rosebarnalice Posts: 3,488 Member
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    Here's an interesting tidbit:

    I read an article in a Scientific American special issue on obesity some years ago about a study that was done with female hotel maids.

    The researchers conducted health assessments and interviews with a bunch of maids, and for half of them, the interviewer referred to their daily tasks as "activity", with the the other half they referred to their daily tasks as "exercise." They then gave all of the participants a diet plan for a period of time (I want to say it was 6 weeks, but I don't really remember!)


    Interestingly, the group that the interviewers had primed by calling their daily tasks "exercise" lost more weight than the group that were not primed to view their daily activity as exercise. As I recall it wasn't a significant difference in weight loss (+- 3 lbs or something like that), but there WAS a difference!


    So, maybe how YOU view your daily activity DOES matter!
  • Shock_Wave
    Shock_Wave Posts: 1,573 Member
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    your walking around for 2 hours yes that excersise just light though but your keeping your muscles stimulated. Also your keeping up your metabolism way more than some one who sits at an office all day long.
  • susanpowterfan
    susanpowterfan Posts: 3
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    Thanks guys. Im new, so Im still getting used to my exercise settings. Cheers

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