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Comment by kerkeslager | Hacker News Reader

Yes, but what are you giving up to do that?

Video games and Netflix, for most people. I really don't think the trade-off between Netflix time and house cleanliness is a false perception synthesized by advertisers.

Netflix and videogsmes are very passive activities, and time cleaning your house presumably isn't fungible with them, from a mental energy perspective. I'm not in the habit of watching TV, but my sister is a good example: over the course of her medical education and early career, her Netflix addiction has tracked pretty directly with how mentally exhausting her workload is. If she was at full-enough capacity during Netflix time to be cleaning house, she'd be spending it on one of her hobbies, or reading.

Studies on ego depletion have failed to replicate, which means that the idea of a limited supply of mental energy may not be true.

Studies on ego depletion have nothing to do with the post you are responding to.

> Video games and Netflix, for most people.

"Most people"? Even if that's true (which I don't think it is) you have to admit that there's a significant portion of the population for whom that isn't the tradeoff.

I probably spend 1 or 2 hours a week on Netflix, and I haven't spent a significant amount of time per week on video games in years, so your proposed tradeoff isn't the tradeoff in my life.

> I really don't think the trade-off between Netflix time and house cleanliness is a false perception synthesized by advertisers.

Really? You haven't seen any ads for video games or Netflix? I go to fairly extensive lengths to avoid seeing ads and I have seen both.

Not much. Cleaning your house counts as excercise too. It's every bit as healthy as walking and then some because your using your whole body, and squating and moving around.

i mean, yeah if you're 60+, cleaning your house is good exercise. But let's not pretend that cleaning your house is exercise for anyone under 60.

it really can be. It can be as vigorous as a walk down the street which is tremendously beneficial to your health. I know we've been conditioned to believe that excercise needs to be something specific like running or swimming, or tennis, etc. But, you just need to move your body. even gardening can be beneficial - the benefits of squating down are vastly underestimated.

A walk down the street is not enough to reach any level of physical fitness, although it's certainly good for you and better than nothing.

What you say is true, for someone over 60. For people without accessibility issues, a walk down the street is not vigorous and neither is cleaning your house.

It certainly is better than NOT walking, but pretending like walking down the street or cleaning your house is exercise is disingenuous.

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