House work as exercise
Replies
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It's not exercise. It's the basic rudimentary functions of the 21st century human being in a first world society.
Granted, can you break a sweat cleaning or chasing a couple toddler's around? Absolutely...But to put that on the same level as 60 minutes in the gym..or a zumba class for that matter is stretching the bounds of a lazy rationale.
You should be taking care of all your domestic work in addition to conventional exercise outlets...not cleaning the toilet and calling it a hard days work.
Nothing is worse than failing because you didn't work hard enough.
If you break a sweat, it's cardio. Doesn't matter if you're doing downward dog, or scrubbing the floors.0 -
I don't have any problem at all with anyone logging cleaning as exercise, with the proviso that anybody who pokes around the house rubbing a washcloth around here and there while reading on a kindle and then logs 2 hours of cleaning in mfp is going to plateau hardcore. Why? Because MFP will tell them they just burned 700 calories and they will believe it.
I don't even have a problem with people cheating themselves. If you want to meander from room to room with a feather duster leisurely and then claim you cleaned "all day" when really you mostly just watched tv while standing, okay. You're not going to lose weight as fast as MFP will try to tell you you will, though.
Seriously, there is a cleaning entry on MFP that real people use and say oh I started cleaning at 8 am, then I stopped around 10, so that's 2 hours! Woo, I burned 700 calories! Most of the time, no, they did not.
Be honest with yourself! IMO the "cleaning" entry on MFP is broken. If you want a good accurate log of how much you burned cleaning, get an HRM.0 -
Or maybe you should MYOB.
Excuse me but who do you think you are to elevate yourself to a position where you can tell other members to "MYOB"?
A thread was started on an OPEN PUBLIC forum which encourages debate on a subject and encourages people with a range of different opinions to participate.
If you disagree with his opinion then argue your case, but don't go round telling people to mind their own business.
I am the person who is telling you to MYOB. That's who I am. What other people log as exercise is NOT your business, so you need to mind your business, not theirs.0 -
I will repeat the part of my post that all the zumba fangirls and boys keep missing when they leap blindly to defend their fitness programme.
"What applies to one equally applies to the other; depending on the intensity of the action both or neither are exercise."
Some people think that cleaning is just waving a duster about over a few shelves and maybe loading a dish or two into the machine. It can be, or it can be an intense period of high aerobic exercise. I’ve seen girls cute as buttons and slim as all get out, standing at the back of a zumba class, dressed to perfection and not even attempting to raise a sweat. Does that count as exercise?
I’ve seen my wife turning beds washing windows taking down and washing curtains, rolling up rugs and scrubbing washing drying and polishing the kitchen floor, as well as lumping boxes and furniture about, then doing the same for each room in the house from 9 in the am till 5 in the pm. And you say that doesn’t count. Really? are you sure?
I’ll state it again for those who struggle to understand
“Depending on the intensity of the action both or neither are exercise”0 -
Or maybe you should MYOB.
Excuse me but who do you think you are to elevate yourself to a position where you can tell other members to "MYOB"?
A thread was started on an OPEN PUBLIC forum which encourages debate on a subject and encourages people with a range of different opinions to participate.
If you disagree with his opinion then argue your case, but don't go round telling people to mind their own business.
I am the person who is telling you to MYOB. That's who I am. What other people log as exercise is NOT your business, so you need to mind your business, not theirs.
***FACEPALM***0 -
I don't log my cleaning. Cleaning is a part of life (for most).
I live on a farm and do farm chores that are much more strenuous than cleaning. I rarely log those. Last week I moved a fallen tree from one end of my yard to the other, and you know I logged that..
but otherwise.. no. I don't log sex either. It seems silly to me.
If you are alive, you are more than likely moving, cleaning, doing, sexing, etc.
I only log when I make a specific concerted effort to get my sweat on (sex does apply here, but I consider that a necessary life act).
You do burn calories doing "necessary life acts." And they are not already counted for people who list sedentary as their activity level. If you live on a farm and do farm chores, perhaps sedentary isn't the right level for you, but if you use sedentary, you should be logging all those chores so you're feeding your body the necessary calories.
Many of us use sedentary because our activity level is inconsistent. It follows then that we log everything, so we are feeding our bodies adequately. Any arguments that we are overestimating are irrelevant, because there are many ways to estimate calorie burn, not just using the numbers MFP provides, and you have no way of knowing how long we actually were at the activity you weren't present for.0 -
I will repeat the part of my post that all the zumba fangirls and boys keep missing when they leap blindly to defend their fitness programme.
"What applies to one equally applies to the other; depending on the intensity of the action both or neither are exercise."
Some people think that cleaning is just waving a duster about over a few shelves and maybe loading a dish or two into the machine. It can be, or it can be an intense period of high aerobic exercise. I’ve seen girls cute as buttons and slim as all get out, standing at the back of a zumba class, dressed to perfection and not even attempting to raise a sweat. Does that count as exercise?
I’ve seen my wife turning beds washing windows taking down and washing curtains, rolling up rugs and scrubbing washing drying and polishing the kitchen floor, as well as lumping boxes and furniture about, then doing the same for each room in the house from 9 in the am till 5 in the pm. And you say that doesn’t count. Really? are you sure?
I’ll state it again for those who struggle to understand
“Depending on the intensity of the action both or neither are exercise”
<sarcasm>But for Zumba you put on special clothes and go to a class/watch a dvd/use a Wii so it's REAL exercise. You can wear any old thing to clean and you have to do it anyway, so that's obviously NOT exercise.</sarcasm>0 -
My wife has a one piece PVC catsuit and high heels<sarcasm>But for Zumba you put on special clothes and go to a class/watch a dvd/use a Wii so it's REAL exercise. You can wear any old thing to clean and you have to do it anyway, so that's obviously NOT exercise.</sarcasm>
does that count as "special clothes" 0 -
I’ve seen my wife turning beds washing windows taking down and washing curtains, rolling up rugs and scrubbing washing drying and polishing the kitchen floor, as well as lumping boxes and furniture about, then doing the same for each room in the house from 9 in the am till 5 in the pm. And you say that doesn’t count. Really? are you sure?
Please tell me you help her out and don't just sit and watch her do all that by herself?
:happy: 0 -
Or maybe you should MYOB.
Excuse me but who do you think you are to elevate yourself to a position where you can tell other members to "MYOB"?
A thread was started on an OPEN PUBLIC forum which encourages debate on a subject and encourages people with a range of different opinions to participate.
If you disagree with his opinion then argue your case, but don't go round telling people to mind their own business.
I am the person who is telling you to MYOB. That's who I am. What other people log as exercise is NOT your business, so you need to mind your business, not theirs.
***FACEPALM***
And you DO need to mind your own business! There are good reasons to set for sedentary--I gave you mine, not that it's your business--and log everything, whether you're a factory worker or anything else. And good reasons for others to choose a more active setting, regardless of profession. As I said, it's that the numbers end up reasonably accurate that matters, NOT how you arrive at them.
And she needs to mind her business too!0 -
I’ve seen my wife turning beds washing windows taking down and washing curtains, rolling up rugs and scrubbing washing drying and polishing the kitchen floor, as well as lumping boxes and furniture about, then doing the same for each room in the house from 9 in the am till 5 in the pm. And you say that doesn’t count. Really? are you sure?
Please tell me you help her out and don't just sit and watch her do all that by herself? :happy:
LOL Here I was giving him bonus points for noticing all the hard work she does! You're right. I, too, hope he helps when he sees this. :blushing: :flowerforyou:0 -
I am the person who is telling you to MYOB. That's who I am.
Sorry about that, I guess I missed your Coronation.0 -
My wife has a one piece PVC catsuit and high heels<sarcasm>But for Zumba you put on special clothes and go to a class/watch a dvd/use a Wii so it's REAL exercise. You can wear any old thing to clean and you have to do it anyway, so that's obviously NOT exercise.</sarcasm> does that count as "special clothes"
:smokin: It does indeed! In fact, when she wears it, I'd say it counts as exercise for BOTH of you! :bigsmile: 0 -
I normally wear my elephant thong and cowboy boots
My wife has a one piece PVC catsuit and high heels<sarcasm>But for Zumba you put on special clothes and go to a class/watch a dvd/use a Wii so it's REAL exercise. You can wear any old thing to clean and you have to do it anyway, so that's obviously NOT exercise.</sarcasm> does that count as "special clothes"
:smokin: It does indeed! In fact, when she wears it, I'd say it counts as exercise for BOTH of you! :bigsmile:
I'm either helping her or in the garden or on the allotment, or doing the car, or any one of the hundred things that couples have to do to keep a house that is 112 years old working
Please tell me you help her out and don't just sit and watch her do all that by herself? :happy:0 -
I normally wear my elephant thong and cowboy boots
My wife has a one piece PVC catsuit and high heels<sarcasm>But for Zumba you put on special clothes and go to a class/watch a dvd/use a Wii so it's REAL exercise. You can wear any old thing to clean and you have to do it anyway, so that's obviously NOT exercise.</sarcasm> does that count as "special clothes"
:smokin: It does indeed! In fact, when she wears it, I'd say it counts as exercise for BOTH of you! :bigsmile:
Um...Okay. If that's what turns you both on... exercise all around! Bet these "special clothes" make cleaning LOTS of fun!0 -
Ive not been on MFP for very long so please excuse me if I step out of bounds here. I have no intention of engaging in the debate that is in progress on this thread but I wanted to comment on the way that many people have chosen to respond to each other on here and on other threads about this issue.
Ive been really disappointed reading some of these replies. Everybody has a right to be able to express their opinion on any subject but your right to express that opinion does not mean that you have a right to be dismissive, sarcastic or downright mean about/to other people. Each person is unique and will have their own unique take on an issue and it is their unique experiences that will lead them to have that view.
I have only been using this site for a short while but in that time I have been amazed by how much support people are willing to offer others. For me, as I suspect for many, one of the most appealing things about this site is that it enables us to share our efforts to make changes to our lives without fear of judgement. This is a vital element that must be preserved; not just for those who are fighting to lose weight but for everybody. There is a huge risk when you begin making judgements of others that you damage their self-confidence, belief, self worth and most of all their hope. These are the forces that drive people forwards to make and sustain changes.
Allow others to go about making changes in the best way that they can and offer support and advice. Dont belittle people for who they are, what they say or what they do. Please dont be dismissive of the efforts of others.
I wonder whether its the way people word their answers that cause them to come across in the way that they do and I hope that that is all that this is.
I wish all of you, without exception, good luck in achieving your goals whatever they are and however you choose to go about reaching them.
x0 -
I normally wear my elephant thong and cowboy boots
My wife has a one piece PVC catsuit and high heels<sarcasm>But for Zumba you put on special clothes and go to a class/watch a dvd/use a Wii so it's REAL exercise. You can wear any old thing to clean and you have to do it anyway, so that's obviously NOT exercise.</sarcasm> does that count as "special clothes"
:smokin: It does indeed! In fact, when she wears it, I'd say it counts as exercise for BOTH of you! :bigsmile:
Um...Okay. If that's what turns you both on... exercise all around! Bet these "special clothes" make cleaning LOTS of fun!
I spend my days doing lots of thinking and brain demanding activities.
Thinking is a pretty calorie intensive activity.
TIME TO UP MY ACTIVITY LEVEL MOTHAF*CKAAAAAAAAAAS!0 -
I need more lemon pledge0
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I totally log housework that isn't done on a daily basis for me. Yesterday I cleaned for 6 hours! How could I not log that? I didn't sit down once during my cleaning spree and I had to go up and down stairs several times. THAT is exercise! That burned more calories than had I gone to kickboxing for an hour.0
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Of course it's exercise!!! Why do you think people in the "old" days were hardly ever fat--because they moved their bodies with all of the hard work they did--farming, gardening, housework, walking their property, chopping wood, etc., etc., etc. They didn't go around lifting weights, jogging, or doing sit ups--they were healthy because they moved. Puuuuulease!!!0
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I totally log housework that isn't done on a daily basis for me. Yesterday I cleaned for 6 hours! How could I not log that? I didn't sit down once during my cleaning spree and I had to go up and down stairs several times. THAT is exercise! That burned more calories than had I gone to kickboxing for an hour.
Okay see but an average person rarely needs to clean for six hours, unless you are a maid in Daddy Warbuck's manor or you are cleaning up after an epic Charlie Sheen sex and coke party. Nobody is saying it cannot be a decent amount of activity however GENERALLY it is something people do every day. Based on that, its more accurate/sensible to adjust your activity level depending on that.0 -
No, housework is not a lesser form of exercise. However, it depends on how you do your initial set-up. If your daily routine (housework, yardwork or whatever) is factored in to your daily activity level, then it should not count; however, if you set it up as "sedentary" then by all means... count it because anything you do is above and beyond sitting down. The thing is I encourage all to not count things twice... If you are counting something as exercise and not seeing results, then try not counting it ...0
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I add housework, yard work and grocery shopping to MFP all of the time. I work at a job that has me up and down stairs all the time, and I add that time too. They're all valid exercises, and It all adds up.0
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Lugging my vacuum cleaner up the stairs, scrubbing off soap scum from shower walls, washing and grooming my dogs, and scraping and washing litter boxes all get my heart going, too! LOL!I totally agree with you, have seen some comments (nasty ones too) about critising housework efforts and walking kids to school.
Someone I know regulary walks 2 hrs a day and of course you need to claim that. Has to be better than catching the bus !
Window washing, scrubbing floors, mowing the lawn must all be counted.
Yeh I stopped logging my situps and dumbell exercises because MFP didn't allow any calories for the strength training. For a moment I thought I wasted money on my bench !
MFP don't class it as a cardio workout, well my heart races when I do 100 situps I can assure you.
Mike Jacobs, you can always wear a HRM to gauge how many calories you burn during strength training. I was literally surprised how many calories I burned, both during housework and strength training, and how much of my time was actually spent "in the zone" - a Polar FT4 is fairly inexpensive (which is why I have one) and I'm finding it is an invaluable tool.
:flowerforyou:0 -
It's not exercise. It's the basic rudimentary functions of the 21st century human being in a first world society.
Granted, can you break a sweat cleaning or chasing a couple toddler's around? Absolutely...But to put that on the same level as 60 minutes in the gym..or a zumba class for that matter is stretching the bounds of a lazy rationale.
You should be taking care of all your domestic work in addition to conventional exercise outlets...not cleaning the toilet and calling it a hard days work.
Nothing is worse than failing because you didn't work hard enough.
Seriously? Great support there, buddy. To each their own.
I'm of the opinion that if your lifestyle is set to sedentary and you do more cleaning than nightly dishes, vacuuming, scrubbing toilets, etc., then add it. Like mowing the lawn in 100 degree heat or scrubbing the outside of your house by hand. If I were to have a lawn to mow I would. I usually wear my HRM when I garden since it's outside my normal routine. I know my sister usually doesn't add those calories on the weekends since her activity level is mildy active (she chases autistic preschoolers for a living).0 -
I think as long as you are listed as sedentary on MFP, I don't think there's an issue with logging those things. I don't usually log them but sometimes I do. You only know for yourself if it counts or not. If you're working up a sweat and your heartrate is up, I think it should count. As far as items not being in MFP, put it in cardio. If it's not already in there, google how many calories whatever you're doing burns and manually add it to your cardio section. I had to do this with my one home workout DVD. It's a hard workout with an exercise ball and I KNOW it burns calories. Once you create it in there, it will automatically calculate your calories depending on how long you do that exercise. They are lacking stuff on here I've noticed though. Ex. They have all the Wii exercises but they do not have any of the Xbox Kinnect exercises. I work a lot harder on the Xbox stuff than when I used the Wii but I have to settle for logging it as Wii exercise.0
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Hi Chris,I totally log housework that isn't done on a daily basis for me. Yesterday I cleaned for 6 hours! How could I not log that? I didn't sit down once during my cleaning spree and I had to go up and down stairs several times. THAT is exercise! That burned more calories than had I gone to kickboxing for an hour.
Okay see but an average person rarely needs to clean for six hours, unless you are a maid in Daddy Warbuck's manor or you are cleaning up after an epic Charlie Sheen sex and coke party. Nobody is saying it cannot be a decent amount of activity however GENERALLY it is something people do every day. Based on that, its more accurate/sensible to adjust your activity level depending on that.
Sorry but of all the people I know - young or old, male or female - only one does a thorough house cleaning every day. A thorough house cleaning for me takes anywhere from 3-4 hours. As I get more fit, I get through it faster.
My one acquaintance who does so is a germaphobe. She does her housework top to bottom every day. It takes her 4-5 hours because she''s... well, paranoid about germs. She never sits down in her battle against the unseen foe - and I would hate to be stuck in that kind of mindset.
Do you clean your home top to bottom every day? Really?0 -
Personally, I may log housework- but NOT so I can have extra burn showing in my data- but so I can see record that I am MOVING. It doesn't matter how much people bag on it for burning calories- if you are a person that is motivated by seeing housework in your stats- DO IT. Just be realistic about how much burn you actually get and then push yourself to do something outside of the norm. Stretch your limits and push yourself to step outside of that self made box.
Do what is best for you. But also keep in mind, what's best for you isn't always what comes easy.0 -
I think you should log what you want how you want and don't worry about if other people approve. Weird, I know.0
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I apologize in advance...I'm sorry....but this is one of the reasons we are so obese as a society. We should not be aguing over recording basic life chores. Cleaning, walking, gardening ect. ect. it is considered life. Our ancestors walked an average of 15 - 20 miles per day. They did not call that exercise. That was their way of Life!
I clean, garden, cut the grass, Hike with the kids, I call that an active lifestyle, the way we SHOULD Be. Then I exercise! Change your perspective and you will have better results.
i'm pretty sure(tho i may be wrong) that my fitness pal did not exist then!!! :noway:
Right, but then their lifestyle (and yours) is considered active--as you are always active throughout your day, so therefore you burn more calories than say I do--my job is mostly sitting at a computer all day. So, when I do anything that raises my heart rate (as per my HRM) it burns more calories than what I would do if I were doing my regular fairly sedentary lifestyle. Note...I do not eat back all of those calories for part of the reasons you indicated.
Please remember, we are all on a different path to wellness here and are all starting at different levels of fitness and lifestyle.
Take care and I wish you continued success on your journey--it appears you are doing very well.0
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