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12 Ways To Turn Housework Into A Workout

You might be surprised to learn that you don't just need to go to the gym or bundle up for a power walk to stay fit. Your daily chores can help burn calories and can add up to a personal fitness routine as well. There is a reason they call it housework. You can burn some serious calories during a marathon cleaning session.
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You might be surprised to learn that you don't just need to go to the gym or bundle up for a power walk to stay fit. Your daily chores can help burn calories and can add up to a personal fitness routine as well.

There is a reason they call it housework. You can burn some serious calories during a marathon cleaning session.

Polishing, sweeping, dusting, and mopping is great for keeping arms shapely. You can tone your thighs and improve flexibility by doing the laundry, making the bed, or washing windows. Plus if you have a lot of stairs at home, running up and down them as you tidy is a great aerobic workout.

If you are feeling more energized than gardening, decorating and spring cleaning can help you burn even more calories. Gardening is not just an enjoyable hobby, it is also one of the best ways to burn calories. Digging, weeding, mowing the lawn, trimming hedges or bushes, and sweeping are all great muscle toners and calorie burners.

Of course, just because you are sweeping the floors today doesn't mean you shouldn't exercise tomorrow.

The listed calories burned per chore below are based on an average weight of 150 pounds. If you're lighter, then estimate 20 per cent fewer calories burned. If you weigh closer to 180 pounds, you'll burn 20 per cent more calories per activity.

Photo: Pixabay

Giving your carpets a good clean for 30 minutes is the same as 15 minutes of kickboxing.

Photo: Pixabay

Depending on the size of your home, vacuuming can make a huge dent in your recommended 30 minutes of activity per day. Not only is it a great leg workout, but it will also work out your upper body and arms. Vacuuming could help you burn 187 calories in just 30 minutes.

It's hot, why not wash the car, cool down and burn calories all at once?

Photo: Pixabay

Skip the drive thru and wash and scrub your car by hand instead. Not only will you save an extra $10, you will also burn 153 calories and get to cool off from the hot heat if it is summertime.

New season? Burn calories by just rearranging your closet and maybe dressing up a bit a after.

Photo: Pixabay

Are you ready to revamp your style, give some old clothes to charity, or hide the sweaters and heavy winter jacket for summer? Moving around clothes in your closet can burn about 85 calories.

Skip the gym for the day and burn calories by moving furniture around.

Photo by TheMuuj

Bored of the layout in your living room? Just bought a new bedroom set of furniture? Or are you moving to a new home? You're in luck. Moving furniture can result in some seriously burned calories. In just 15 minutes you can burn 100 calories and even more if you have to move anything up or down stairs.

Burn calories and add color to a room at the same time.

Photo: Pixabay

Want to add some color to your kitchen's walls and paint it a happy spring yellow. Or maybe you want to add some wallpaper to the living room. Then knock off 167 calories for every 30 minutes of indoor remodeling you do.

Cleaning your windows so that they are bright and clear is the same as doing 40 push-ups.

It might be sunny outside, but all the dirt and grime from winter is blocking the sun from getting inside. By cleaning your windows and getting that grime off, you will burn 167 calories for every 30 minutes and get an excellent arm workout.

Burn calories by taking the mop or broom for a waltz.

Photo: TheMuuj

By sweeping or mopping you can burn about 240 calories an hour. Plus this chore is an exceptional upper and lower body workout. You can even spice it up and do a 30-minute dance with the mop or broom. This will burn off about 136 calories.

Cleaning the bathtub for 15 minutes is equal to 30 jumping jacks.

Photo: Pixabay

This chore might only take you 15 minutes, but you'll burn about 90 calories for having a shiny white bathtub. So ditch the soap scum and work out your arms.

Tinkering in the garden for for 30 minutes is the same as 45 minutes of cycling on flat terrain.

Photo: Pixabay

Gardening is not just a leisure activity, you can break a real sweat and burn some calories while you are smelling those flowers. You'll burn about 250 calories per hour working out in your garden. Plus you'll enjoy the added bonus of growing and eating organic vegetables and fruits, which will benefit your health, waist and wallet.

If you spend 15 minutes every day for a week washing dishes that would be equal to swimming 2,500 meters!

Photo: Pixabay

No one likes washing the dishes. But what if it burns 50 calories for every 30 minutes? Plus you could always multi-task and watch 30 minutes of your favourite TV show while your burn calories and clean.

Burn Calories with a delicious and healthy meal!

Photo: Pixabay

Cooking a delicious meal can result in more than just keeping your stomach satisfied. Preparing a meal can also burn off calories and add to your daily activity. Chefs on competitive cooking shows tend to sweat off more calories than the amount in their meals. So, put on your apron, start the oven and burn about 150 calories per hour of cooking.

Doing laundry for an hour is equal to doing 100 sit-ups.

Photo: Pixabay

Moving laundry from washer to dryer, walking upstairs, folding and organizing your closet for 45 minutes will help burn 75 calories.

Burning calories happens all day with every activity you do and can add up fast. You just need to move. The more you move, the more calories you will burn. To increase exercise benefits and to house clean like a pro, try using ankle and wrist weights. By just adding weight you can burn an additional 25 to 50 per cent more calories during your everyday activities. No gym required.

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