SHOULD I ADD MY HOUSEHOLD CHORES TO MY EXCERCISE?

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Replies

  • khk2010
    khk2010 Posts: 451 Member
    Sure. Activity is activity. You burn calories one way or another. I don't add everyday light cleaning. But if it's a big cleaning day or yard day I add it.
  • stephaneb74
    stephaneb74 Posts: 151 Member
    Yes in your case I would not add them much.... unless you do chores after a day of working.....
  • DannyMussels
    DannyMussels Posts: 1,842 Member
    I put shovelling and chopping wood as excercise.

    I figure if it takes you longer than an hour, and you work up a sweat, it counts.

    Cleaning, laundry, etc doesn't count.

    I don't care if anyone after me says they count, they don't.
  • KourtneyP83
    KourtneyP83 Posts: 319
    I've never added cleaning into mine. Once I moved a lot of furniture and I did track that, but that's about it. I feel like I was cleaning before I started MFP and I was a ham then so clearly it's not a form of exercise for me so no point in adding it.
  • nakedsun
    nakedsun Posts: 115
    very off topic but how do i quote people on here? I tried before and failed miserably

    Look at the person's reply, in the bottom right corner of their reply box there's a report, quote and somethingiforgottoread option. Just click the quote option and BAM you're doing it like I am :P



    I only add things that I don't do normally. For example: Every morning I walk my dogs 20 minutes. I don't add that cause I've always done it and always do it. But I do add my heavy duty clean I do on the weekend where I spend 4 hours scrubbing bathrooms/kitchens, moping, vacuuming and dusting like a mad woman.
  • lisapr123
    lisapr123 Posts: 863 Member
    very off topic but how do i quote people on here? I tried before and failed miserably

    Click the "quote" button on the lower right part of the comment. Then type above or below where it says [qoute] in the new window where you normally type... hope that made sense :)
  • myak623
    myak623 Posts: 615 Member
    Really depends on how you have your daily activity factored into your settings. If you are active at work, then no.
  • PixEm
    PixEm Posts: 190 Member
    I track my yard work because it is really a workout but not so much my house cleaning.
  • BackTatJIM
    BackTatJIM Posts: 1,140 Member
    very off topic but how do i quote people on here? I tried before and failed miserably

    Click the "quote" button on the lower right part of the comment. Then type above or below where it says [qoute] in the new window where you normally type... hope that made sense :)

    tryed this before and didn't work,, maybe this time
  • BackTatJIM
    BackTatJIM Posts: 1,140 Member
    haha thanks , and thanks everyone for the advice, I feal like I have a better grasp on this now
  • Cyngen
    Cyngen Posts: 557 Member
    I add mine because I have a desk job. It's activity outside my norm. Mowing lawn, cleaning the house, walking the dog and so on. Normally I only count it if it's 30 minutes or more... that's just my process.
  • loseweightjames
    loseweightjames Posts: 360 Member
    Should I be adding things like mow the lawn or clean my yard to my exercise? I mean if I am off work for the day I need to make up for it by staying active so it seems pointless to add it to me..... any thoughts??

    no.... well, mowing a lawn and cleaning the yard is different, they're not "household chores"

    "household chores" is taking out the trash, washing dishes, cleaning room, laundry, etc.

    Mowing a lawn with a push mower is usually hours of sweating in the sun and not everyone does it so ya, i'd count that
  • MsQt
    MsQt Posts: 793 Member
    Uhm... Have you lost weight like that before? I wouldn't not count that as exercise.
  • rjo921
    rjo921 Posts: 130
    You bet I do.....I clean every Sunday and I am constantly moving for at least two hours if not more....it adds up. If you are doing something physical for at least a half hour that gets your heartrate up.....log it
  • mcpherson4
    mcpherson4 Posts: 287 Member
    NO
  • rohenna
    rohenna Posts: 21
    I add it in as I am chasing a toddler around the house as well as doing housework all day. There are days when I dont get to exercise - such as a proper walk etc - so I also add it in to keep me motivated. After all, Im moving around, and quite often, so Im naturally burning calories. I'm losing weight, so I can't be going too wrong, surely? :)
  • surgesilk
    surgesilk Posts: 92
    No...for the same reason you dont add walking up stairs...it is just part of life and is already accounted for in your calorie goals.
  • kellyyjean
    kellyyjean Posts: 499 Member
    If it is out of the ordinary, why not. You could be sitting on your butt doing nothing.
  • BackTatJIM
    BackTatJIM Posts: 1,140 Member
    Uhm... Have you lost weight like that before? I wouldn't not count that as exercise.

    have not added anything like mowing the lawn, chopping wood, or anything like that untill today when I realized I could, but I assumed 3-4 hours outside doing that should be making up for having the day off of work, I never really eat into my exercise calories anyway so I guess it is really pointless to add
  • sharleengc
    sharleengc Posts: 792 Member
    I only do it if it's something that I don't do often. Like mowing the lawn (hubby usually does) or deep cleaning where I am moving furniture around.

    Otherwise, the sweeping every other day or things like that, I don't add because I kinda figure that's part of what type of "active" I choose.

    Every now and then I will add gardening or something but I usually subtract like half the calories because you can't choose an effort level...
  • kfitzpa
    kfitzpa Posts: 326
    No way man! Not to sound rude but I hate when people log things like that.
  • Bahet
    Bahet Posts: 1,254 Member
    It depends on what it is. Standing in the kitchen washing dishes and unloading/loading the dishwasher - no. The other day I wiped down all the baseboards and all the cupboards and cabinets. It took 3 hours and later my legs and arms were burning (it was like doing squats for a few hours to do the baseboards and arm exercises with the scrubbing.) If you are going to count lunges then why wouldn't you count cleaning the baseboards which gives the same workout?
  • Cindy_Fit4Life
    Cindy_Fit4Life Posts: 147 Member
    Uhm... Have you lost weight like that before? I wouldn't not count that as exercise.

    I don't either!