Logging Housework as Exercise??

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  • kelsue35
    kelsue35 Posts: 463 Member
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    when you clean are you moving? you already know that you burn calories when you clean so why not log it? i am a mom of 4 so i clean my house a few times a day, if i am moving and burning calories i dont really give 2 hoots what it is i am doing i am def logging it. someone said it was ppls way of excusing them from a real workout or real cardio or whatever which is BS, i also do other workingout not just cleaning so that cant be true for all of us!

    if you are burning the calories then LOG THEM!!!!!
  • Reptileszz
    Reptileszz Posts: 47 Member
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    I rarely vacuum LOL, so when I do I log it. I figure it is outside my normal activities. Same thing for shoveling snow or raking leaves. Random housework I never log.
  • momma3sweetgirls
    momma3sweetgirls Posts: 743 Member
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    Change your settings from sedentary to lightly active, then only log activity outside your normal daily routine.

    My thoughts exactly. As SAHMs, we are NOT sedentary. At the very least we're 'lightly active'. That's what I have my setting as.
  • SassyCalyGirl
    SassyCalyGirl Posts: 1,932 Member
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    keep your nose out of other people's business. WTF cares cause it won't show up on YOUR scale...so butt out.

    wow-that was really rude! No reason for that at all.

    I personally do not log housework-I consider it normal everyday activity not "exercise" but to each his own
  • meerkat70
    meerkat70 Posts: 4,616 Member
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    I think Berry's suggestion is likely best. Set your activity level as lightly active, and log purposeful activity. I hope that's a bit more helpful than the post above!
  • cherrieruns
    cherrieruns Posts: 342 Member
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    here is what I do. I log my cardio (running/circuit training) and then on days when I find I have spent hours doing a major cleaing - moving furniture, washing floors, etc I log that too. I try to under count my hours though so for example, if i do a major 6 hour cleaning I will most likely log 4 hours worth. For me this tends to be my Sat "house cleaning day".

    I don't ever log this as a copout as some have implied.
  • trud72
    trud72 Posts: 1,912 Member
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    thank you meercat another "normal" mfp'er not a a*shole like those others!
  • lijparsons
    lijparsons Posts: 258
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    Change your settings from sedentary to lightly active, then only log activity outside your normal daily routine.



    ^^^^^Exactly this^^^^
  • vanessaclarkgbr
    vanessaclarkgbr Posts: 765 Member
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    When I started out, I used the rule that if I was doing something that I wouldn't have done pre MFP that involved exertion, or, if I was doing something I did previously with more energy, enthusiasm and for longer than pre MFP I'd log it. If you've got weight to lose over a sustained period you'll probably find when you start out it will work ok, but you'll need to be doing more as you progress.

    I have two friends with disabilities on here and I often get frustrated when people jump in with a more opinionated view on this on forums - as on a bad day for them, doing a top to toe clean IS a good workout, and a really good effort!

    It's your journey, if it's working for you and it's healthy - then it's right!
  • bjclaywell
    bjclaywell Posts: 165 Member
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    I don't log daily housework, but I do log the occasional hard core spring cleaning type of work. Or when I cleaned out my garage, I was lifting heavy boxes all day. I also log my once every two weeks yard work. If it something out of the ordinary, day to day stuff, I will log it.
  • jodieb3
    jodieb3 Posts: 19
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    Of course you can class it as exercise (so long as you are building up a sweat and putting more effort in than normal) I would agree and say you need to up your daily activity staus though, Try taking one thing upstairs at a time rather than all at once, and really scrubbing things harder than the normal, put 110% into anything you do and yes it is excercise. Excercise is defined: Activity requiring physical effort, carried out esp. to sustain or improve health and fitness.
    So yes it can be exercise!!!

    Just not classed as exercise if your doing a light dust and some washing up haha! :)
  • amfaery
    amfaery Posts: 267 Member
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    unless i am dripping in sweat i would not log housework i see it more as a daily activity
  • beautybloom
    beautybloom Posts: 45
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    I do it so I'm curious how many other people do it
  • lynz507
    lynz507 Posts: 6
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    I've only logged it once. I told my teenager to clean his room and I ended up in there for over 6 hours taking everything out and scrubbing the entire room, including the closet. This was outside of my normal activity and I logged 60 minutes. If it is a normal activity then you shouldn't include it.
  • SusanRoseKnows
    SusanRoseKnows Posts: 4 Member
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    If I am mopping or doing something that takes effort then I will log it. I often make an effort when mopping to make a "workout" out of it. Trust me, it can be a workout.
  • BPayton27
    BPayton27 Posts: 626 Member
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    LOL thanks for the morning laugh to the person who said it is not exercise.

    I log mine only when I do deep cleaning, like rearranging furniture, climbing chairs to clean corners, on top of cabinets, etc. Stuff like that. I also drag the vacuum up 3 flights of stairs, scrub floors, tubs..... I get some of my best burns during deep cleans because they last for HOURS. Sometimes I am more exhausted from them than doing typical cardio. I wear my HRM and pedometer while deep cleaning.

    If I am just dusting or lightly picking up, I don't log it.
  • cessnaholly
    cessnaholly Posts: 784 Member
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    when you clean are you moving? you already know that you burn calories when you clean so why not log it? i am a mom of 4 so i clean my house a few times a day, if i am moving and burning calories i dont really give 2 hoots what it is i am doing i am def logging it. someone said it was ppls way of excusing them from a real workout or real cardio or whatever which is BS, i also do other workingout not just cleaning so that cant be true for all of us!

    if you are burning the calories then LOG THEM!!!!!

    Agreed!
  • Hellbent_Heidi
    Hellbent_Heidi Posts: 3,669 Member
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    *sigh* who cares what OTHERS are doing....


    i was meerly asking a question as i wondered if i should log as had seen others logging it when it came up on my feed.... it doesnt bother me what other people do or why.

    i WANT to lose weight but i know that if im not eating enough i wont...so if i think ive eaten the 1200 cals that im meant to have for that day but have actually burnt of 2100 my body could go in starvation mode couldnt it.... just going by what ive read on here!

    I thought this forum was about helping each other!
    I guess you'd have to know their personal situation/fitness level before you should judge. Some people were not doing housework on a daily basis before, and it depends where they are in their weight loss & fitness journey.

    Myself, no, I don't log housework, or even heavy-duty yardwork (I consider it a bonus and basically only log exercise that meets my own definition of intentional cardio). I'm sure there are some people who take advantage of this and only log housework to justify eating more calories, but again, you shouldn't assume everyone is at the same point in this process as you are.

    This is just something to consider!
  • mfisher16508
    mfisher16508 Posts: 269 Member
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    I fell into this trap a few years back, but I also included my ymca workouts, and in order to get every calorie burned in there, I added housework too, but it didnt really make a difference, and the typing I did prob added up to more calories burned. Dont fall into that trap,
    However if it makes YOU feel better, then by all means log it. It is your decision, your choice, your log...I dont think that logging it will be detrimental at all (spell check on detrimental, its early)
    I hope your having a great day, good luck today on another day of your journey and remember every little bit helps.

    Mary
  • erxkeel
    erxkeel Posts: 553 Member
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    Forums raging so early..

    I wouldn't But thats opinion.

    Have a great day!:happy:

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