Should You Really Log Housework?

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Dexy_
Dexy_ Posts: 593 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I see a lot of people logging housework as exercise. I'm not exactly sure why but I'd feel very odd logging this. I have worn my HRM during my housework time the last 2-3 days and on average I'd burn about 100cals for an hour of housework. That's pretty significant for me (considering it would take be about 30-40 mins to burn 100cals doing any other exercise). Should I log it or not? I'm thinking not but just looking for opinions.
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Replies

  • katem78
    katem78 Posts: 101 Member
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    i am not really sure if you should.... i mean, in our profile we choose our daily activities which more or less include some things we basically do. if you (or anyone of us) add our housework calories then we could add our sleeping calories our watching tv calories our whatever calories. our body burns calories all day and night which is more or less added by our profile choices.
    no???

    good luck
    xx
  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
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    I don't log anything that's not a formal workout. I would have done housework, no matter how "intense" or "long," whether I was planning on losing weight or not. Others might feel differently, but I feel like I cheated myself when I log silly things like housework when I could have done a HIIT routine in the same amount of time.
  • Dexy_
    Dexy_ Posts: 593 Member
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    Yeah that's what I thought :) I would feel like I was cheating myself also. Thanks guys :)
  • mybeachpal
    mybeachpal Posts: 28 Member
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    I think we should log housework as a form of exercise. It is an activity, and in most cases a pretty significant activity. Consider that many people do not get too involved with keeping their house clean and tidy; and truly, housekeeping if done "right", is a wonderful activity. Just sayin...
  • trud72
    trud72 Posts: 1,912 Member
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    NO WAY! :mad: this does anoy me! :mad: :mad: :mad:
    the only exersice i log is when i phisically get off my @ss and do some exersice! :drinker:
  • unsuspectingfish
    unsuspectingfish Posts: 1,176 Member
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    If it's not housework that's part of your normal routine, then I wouldn't. If it's something you do less often and which is more intense than normal, then I would.

    As long as it's not regular, everyday, barely-moving-around housework, it's a legitimate workout, whether you log it or not. It gets you up, moving around, and working your muscles. Plus, you get the added bonus of actually getting something accomplished while doing it. I don't think your cheating yourself out of anything.

    P.S.

    The CDC considers it a legitimate form of exercise: http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2004/01/26/tem_tem2a.html

    I'm just saying.
  • sms1986
    sms1986 Posts: 113 Member
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    I know someone who was a SAHD and he lost some weight a few years ago, and never included housework as part of his exercise. I don't include it myself, although I don't really do a lot of the housework.
  • SueGeer
    SueGeer Posts: 1,169 Member
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    the only exersice i log is when i phisically get off my @ss and do some exersice! :drinker:

    Same here

    Sue :smile: x
  • cocolo89
    cocolo89 Posts: 1,171 Member
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    i normally don't log it in. I will only log it in if I am doing a deep cleaning ( I usually clean throughout the day, but once a week I do a deep cleaning for 4hrs but I only log it in as 2) same with shopping. If i do a quick shopping trip, i don't log it in. but if i'm gone for 5-6hrs I will only log it in as 90mins. Those i consider extra because its something i don't do every day :))
  • snowpony
    snowpony Posts: 47 Member
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    I log in housework sometimes because I usually sit all day at a computer for my job. But because I work for a fashion company sometimes I have to go and count clothes and pull them out of boxes and sort them out which is really heavy exercise with the squatting and bending and being on your feet for a few hours in high heels mind you. Its not housework but I log it as housework because I can't find a similar exercise.
  • killagb
    killagb Posts: 3,280 Member
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    I personally don't log it. I'd look at anything burned as a bonus calorie deficit(that's also because I do eat back all my exercise calories and wouldn't want to for something like housework). If it's logged for motivational purposes then that is different.
  • katem78
    katem78 Posts: 101 Member
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    i clean and cook and tidy my house on a daily basis. when i'm done i don't feel like i did something extra for my body. i don't feel i worked out. like corina_b89 said,if i do a deep cleaning, take my carpets on the balcony and wash them for an hour or, get on my knees and mop the whole house for an hour or go to the supermarket and walk back home carrying heavy bags ..that maybe i would add.... but this doesn't happen daily!
  • tracymnx
    tracymnx Posts: 105
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    I would never log housework, I think its cheating a bit as you would be doing it anyway whether you wanted to lose weight or not, right?? I agree with other posters, I only log when im doing a proper workout and not day-to-day things.

    Tracy x
  • spottedlee
    spottedlee Posts: 372
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    NO WAY! :mad: this does anoy me! :mad: :mad: :mad:
    the only exersice i log is when i phisically get off my @ss and do some exersice! :drinker:
    I agree! Especially when someone "cleaned house" for 2 hours day in and day out.. I wondered,, I mean,, average time it take to clean house is less than a hour daily, but not 2 hours! No Way!

    My opinion,, shall we log it,, NO!
  • wolfiesgirl
    wolfiesgirl Posts: 59 Member
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    I don't log housework but I do log the cleaning I do at work, sweeping and mopping the floors after service is a killer! Makes me sweat! lol x
  • unsuspectingfish
    unsuspectingfish Posts: 1,176 Member
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    NO WAY! :mad: this does anoy me! :mad: :mad: :mad:
    the only exersice i log is when i phisically get off my @ss and do some exersice! :drinker:
    I agree! Especially when someone "cleaned house" for 2 hours day in and day out.. I wondered,, I mean,, average time it take to clean house is less than a hour daily, but not 2 hours! No Way!

    My opinion,, shall we log it,, NO!

    If you're not doing it every day, though, or even every week, it's going to require more effort and be outside your normal routine. That's the point at which I think it's OK to log.
  • sugarbone
    sugarbone Posts: 454 Member
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    I wouldn't log it, it strikes me kind of desperate for calories and if MFP is wrong about what you burnt, you could mess up your weight loss eating back too much. I'd only log dedicated exercise that you're confident you know the calorie burn of.
  • getfitnfab
    getfitnfab Posts: 418 Member
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    I normally do not do any housework, I have recently started and used to log as my workout, because instead of lying in bed I was moving around, but I just realized I eat those calories back and they are not helping me lose weight!

    So for the near future I won't be logging chores!
  • runs4zen
    runs4zen Posts: 769 Member
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    the only exersice i log is when i phisically get off my @ss and do some exersice! :drinker:

    Same here

    Sue :smile: x

    Me too! :bigsmile:
  • Eleanorjanethinner
    Eleanorjanethinner Posts: 563 Member
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    I think it totally depends.

    I set my activity level as 'sedentary' as I sit as a desk all day for work. I would only log a couple of hours of full on floor mopping, vaccuming etc. 'cos it's out of the ordinary for what I normally do. And I tend not to eat all my exercise calories.

    I also log long shopping trips as slow walking, 'cos it is and again, it's more active than sitting at a desk. But I seriously underestimate the time spent doing it and tend not to eat all the calories.

    I wouldn't bother getting flaming mad over what someone else is doing. You can send them a polite message asking for their reasoning, or just unfriend them or hide their posts. No need to get your knickers in a twist! :)

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