Logging Housework as Exercise??

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  • kateroot
    kateroot Posts: 435
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    I haven't read through this whole thread, but IMO it's a cop-out to log everyday activities as exercise. They should be factored into your overall activity level which helps determine your calories-in target.
  • Rhea30
    Rhea30 Posts: 625 Member
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    I would assume it depends how you have your settings on your daily activity, if its sedentary you probably could log it, but if its above that I wouldn't log it. Housework could be an exercise if you go more vigorous at it, maybe walk faster, scrub harder, etc so you can feel it working like an exercise,but overall if its a normal routine just change your setting to light activity if you want credit for it and don't log it. Does this show up as a cardio on the database? Because to me cleaning as always seem more of a strength exercise if it was going to be used as exercise.
  • MaximalLife
    MaximalLife Posts: 2,447 Member
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    ARHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH don't do it...
    the way i see it....
    it is ONLY exersice if you physical go out of your way to do the exersice itself! not dusting and hoovering...comeon cop out :bigsmile:
    let anything eles be a bonus right! :ohwell:
    Listen to the people who have gotten results - not just the philosophy of those who dream about it.
    It's activity - not exercise.

    This is if you really want to reach peak fitness. If not, do whatever....
  • Barneystinson
    Barneystinson Posts: 1,357 Member
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    I don't log anything as exercise - just factor it into my activity level and eat accordingly. I don't think the "calories burned" method is very accurate and tends to overestimate actual calorie usage without verifying it with an HRM or continuous monitor like a BodyBugg.

    Just my humblest of humble opinions.
  • MaximalLife
    MaximalLife Posts: 2,447 Member
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    I personally don't see that as exercise if it is a normal part of your living activites. I consider exercise anything above and beyond.

    This may be harsh, but personally I've deleted many "friends" due to their logging activities such as housework and then *****ing because they are not losing weight. If you are serious about it then move your *kitten* and eat less!!!
    Well said - the truth can sound harsh at times, but it's actually the most loving act a person exhibit.

    Listen to those who do not fear the truth.
  • Lotte34
    Lotte34 Posts: 429 Member
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    I am the lowest excersize band too, however I do log my housework as it tends to all be done in one big go over the weekend (spent 4 hours on saturday on my h ands and knees with a scrubbing brush and a bucket of soapy water) I would suggest you up your excersize profile (ie you are not sat behind a computer all day) and don't log your house work. Or alternatively keep your excersize level the same and log your housework as light effort.
    Either way, as long as you are happy and losing the weight you want to lose, who cares :)
  • meerkat70
    meerkat70 Posts: 4,616 Member
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    I am the lowest excersize band too, however I do log my housework as it tends to all be done in one big go over the weekend (spent 4 hours on saturday on my h ands and knees with a scrubbing brush and a bucket of soapy water) I would suggest you up your excersize profile (ie you are not sat behind a computer all day) and don't log your house work. Or alternatively keep your excersize level the same and log your housework as light effort.
    Either way, as long as you are happy and losing the weight you want to lose, who cares :)

    I think my worry with the light exercise logging on here is that it does overestimate the burn. I think it's safer to go lightly active in your settings, and only log purposeful exercise. (I do agree on the 'if it works, you're probably ok' logic, though!)
  • juliemval
    juliemval Posts: 34 Member
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    I'm a sahm and I only log the cleaning if I do something like moving the couch to find the toys under it :) or I take the rug out of the living room and mop under it to get any spills from my daughter Basically if it's something I don't do everyday I log it.
  • Lotte34
    Lotte34 Posts: 429 Member
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    When it comes down to it the BMR tool that this site uses is based on the calories you would burn laying stock still in bed 24/7 so any extra effort logged is justified.

    Has no one reported the guy above for abuse yet?
  • Nailrep
    Nailrep Posts: 966 Member
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    I wouldn't log normal housework. But if I do something different (right now, I'm trying to get a new office open, which requires moving, painting, lifting, etc), I will log 25% of the totalf time I spent doing it .
  • livinginwoods
    livinginwoods Posts: 562 Member
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    I am sorry about people who were unnecessarily rude and nasty to you. This is a question I had when I first came on. I decided for me, personally, I would only log if I did a deep clean or something unusual and only if I worked up my heart rate and a sweat. I don't log every day cleaning because it was part of my every day thing before I wanted a life style change. You need to do what feels right to you. Good luck!
  • MissObstinatiox
    MissObstinatiox Posts: 275 Member
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    I utterly disagree with people saying it shouldn,t be logged!
    If you use a hrm and your a clean freak as i am then why not add calories burned! I burn a lot of calories doing daily cleaning.
    So why shouldnt it be logged!
    If it works for the individual then great if not then dont log it!
    I sometimes tire with peoples comments on you shouldnt do that!! why the hell not!!!
  • meerkat70
    meerkat70 Posts: 4,616 Member
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    When it comes down to it the BMR tool that this site uses is based on the calories you would burn laying stock still in bed 24/7 so any extra effort logged is justified.

    Has no one reported the guy above for abuse yet?

    That's not quite true. It's BMR x 1.2, for a sedentary lifestyle. (And if I remember rightly 1.4 or 1.5 for lightly active?) So there is actually an allowance built in for the reality that no-one is completely sedentary.



    I don't see the bloke above as being abusive. He didn't tell anyone to 'butt out' or name call people who disagree with him... How is his post abusive? Disagreeing and being abusive really aren't the same thing?
  • knapowell
    knapowell Posts: 230 Member
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    Like others, I don't log everyday cleaning as exercise, or even my weekly cleaning. I do log INTENSE cleaning, moving, etc. Do to the nature of a lot of comments on this subject, I also comment on my own status feed when I log exercise so I don't get any crap (which I haven't). Earlier this week I cleaned three bathroom floors, kitchen floor, and pantry floor on my hands and knees including baseboards, walls, doors, trim, cabinets, etc. I spent ALL day doing this, and believe me it rivaled my 4 mile run. I do log things like this as light cleaning, and I also use only a quarter to half of the time I actually spend doing it. Last week I carried 30 boxes up 2 flights of stairs to my attic, believe me, that was cardio! You have do do what works for you.
  • Rhea30
    Rhea30 Posts: 625 Member
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    When it comes down to it the BMR tool that this site uses is based on the calories you would burn laying stock still in bed 24/7 so any extra effort logged is justified.

    Has no one reported the guy above for abuse yet?

    I don't see what was so abusive either, it was just an opinion that you may or may not agree with.
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
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    ARHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH don't do it...
    the way i see it....
    it is ONLY exersice if you physical go out of your way to do the exersice itself! not dusting and hoovering...comeon cop out :bigsmile:
    let anything eles be a bonus right! :ohwell:
    Listen to the people who have gotten results - not just the philosophy of those who dream about it.
    It's activity - not exercise.

    This is if you really want to reach peak fitness. If not, do whatever....

    Not everyone is looking to become an athlete. Plenty of people are here because they just want to lose some weight.
  • EuroDriver12
    EuroDriver12 Posts: 805 Member
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    lol i love these threads!!!! i posted one like year ago! and i got ripped apart about 10% agreeed that its not excersise n 90% ripped me apart, now its about 60% agree and 40% still want to log it and argue it

    we are making progress people!!! :P
  • AlsDonkBoxSquat
    AlsDonkBoxSquat Posts: 6,128 Member
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    I don't log housework, but also didn't log the chocolate cover toffee that I just ate either (they even each other out), but I know that plenty of people do. This is the way that I think about it:

    First, everyone has different capabilities. I literally run up and down my stairs several times a day (usually skipping 2 steps at a time) getting this or putting away that, and don't get winded. Other people's upstairs haven't seen them in years because they no longer have the ability to walk up the steps. I don't log these errands, other people should. This same logic applies to cleaning, I roll up my sleeves and dust, mop, vacuum, and scour without logging. These tasks are performed standing, sitting, laying, stretching, leaning and by lugging crap up and down the stairs, etc. I don't get winded even with my spring and fall big cleans. Others perform these tasks with difficulty, they can't get down on their hands and knees to clean without considering the effort of getting down there and the possiblity of not being able to get back up. I would expect that this really gets the old ticker going.

    Second, it isn't any of my business what people do and don't log as exercise. Now, if they were to ask for advice because they're having difficulty losing I may suggest removing this from their logging. That being said, I've had quite a few mfp's have great success and log cleaning as exercise, logging it has apparently worked for them and not logging it has apparently worked for me, so who am I to judge?
  • monkeymouse74
    monkeymouse74 Posts: 288
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    That's not quite true. It's BMR x 1.2, for a sedentary lifestyle. (And if I remember rightly 1.4 or 1.5 for lightly active?) So there is actually an allowance built in for the reality that no-one is completely sedentary.



    I don't see the bloke above as being abusive. He didn't tell anyone to 'butt out' or name call people who disagree with him... How is his post abusive? Disagreeing and being abusive really aren't the same thing?
    [/quote]

    I agree, He's just making his point, which I believe we're all entitled to. Just because you disagee with a persons opinions doesn't make their statements abusive.
  • EuroDriver12
    EuroDriver12 Posts: 805 Member
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    I utterly disagree with people saying it shouldn,t be logged!
    If you use a hrm and your a clean freak as i am then why not add calories burned! I burn a lot of calories doing daily cleaning.
    So why shouldnt it be logged!
    If it works for the individual then great if not then dont log it!
    I sometimes tire with peoples comments on you shouldnt do that!! why the hell not!!!

    people can do what they want i just dont want to hear whining or that ive been on a plateau for a year!! cuz thats total BS! there is no such thing as plateau for a year unless ur too lazy to take the next step n make some changes in ur life!!

    my wifeys a clean freak! she literally cleans everyday! its redicilous... she doesnt log it!!!!!! instead she works out for an hour a day and eat clean! n she has made some amazing progress! cleaning... she did that before... so why would it make her loose weight just because she decided to log it as fitness...

    i think the main point alot of people try to make is lets say if you cleaned, showered, mowed the lawn once a week etc when you were overweight and now you are trying to loose weight you have to do something aside from that.. not just the things you were doing before and log them as excersise.... you need to do all those things and then go for a 30min-40min walk depending on how much your knees n legs can handle if you are very over weight.... then log THAT as excersise because its something you did thats completley new and your body is going to go WWWTTTFF are you doing to me i better melt off some of this extra energy i have stored as fat!

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