Household Chores and Exercise

 

Household chores can be exercise. Yes, you heard me correctly, you can get in your steps just by making your home more clean and organized. Have you thought you could benefit in other ways from doing the housework, such as burning calories and getting fit?  This list might make you feel more motivated to clean if you are burning calories too.

So by ramping up your housework, you can meet your fitness needs. Remember, your heart rate needs to reach a high-intensity level. If you’re breathing heavily and you feel your heart pumping, you’re on the right track.

 

First, start with stretching.
  • Dusting, and reaching up high to get those cobwebs or bending low to get the dog hair on the furniture will help you stretch out.
    • Once you are all stretched, try adding weights to your wrists or ankles. Having this extra resistance will burn more calories.
Now start exercising.
  • Vacuuming
    • Using proper form, squat low when vacuuming under things or lifting furniture when moving to vacuum under.
    • If you want to go further, lunge across the room while vacuuming to target most of the muscles in your legs simultaneously, including the quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, and calves
  • Scrubbing
    • Scrubbing away at the dishes can burn an impressive 560 calories over a week if you spend 15 minutes doing it every night. Scrubbing the bathtub is great for toning arms and shoulder muscles.
    • Scrubbing involves a lot of arm and shoulder movement and provides a great opportunity for some resistance work
  • Laundry
    • Moving your arms so often and lifting your baskets can be an arm workout. It is said you burn 78 calories each load.
    • Do squats while loading the machines and taking out the clothes.
Outdoor Housework

Walk your dog: Use the excuse to work up your cardio, pace yourself as you walk around. Take breaks to do some stretching as well. You will be surprised how much of a difference a quick jog with your dog will make to him and to you.

Wash your car: It will do wonders to tone up your arm muscles as well as the abs. try reaching the top of the roof to clean it and bend as low as possible to clean up those muddy tires.

Gardening: Strength training and great mental exercise. Relieve stress and enjoy being outside in the earth. Planting and tending to a garden involves vigorous yard work, especially if you take an organic, chemical-free approach.

 

Fun fact: Changing the linen of a family of four’s beds can burn 65 calories in 15 minutes, the same as a mile-long power walk.

 

Easy exercises to do without doing too much thinking.
  • While doing dishes, do calf raises
  • While taking out the trash, do bicep curls
  • While you’re paying bills, do abdominal twists
  • While you’re folding laundry, do squats
  • While you’re cooking, do butt lifts

 

It is better to stay active by doing daily chores and activities that will help you stay in shape and stay fit. Carry your shopping bags home instead of taking the car or the bus. Use stairs whenever you can. It’s all in the little things.

 

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