Most of us live very busy lives. It can be difficult to find time to keep your home clean while squeezing in a regular workout. Fortunately, there are ways to accomplish both tasks at once. In fact, homeowners are said to burn up to 3,655 calories each year just by doing a little spring cleaning, according to a 2013 study conducted by Mail Online. That’s more than most people burn running a marathon.
Of course, you can’t just casually stroll around your house dusting here and there, you’ll need put in a little elbow (and leg & arm) grease. Here are just a few ideas to help you turn your daily household chores into a great workout.
1.) Lunges and Vacuuming
When you vacuum, perform walking lunges. Be sure to keep your knees directly above your ankles, engage your abs and keep your back straight. Also, remember to keep your toes pointed straight ahead, and make sure you don’t bend your knees more than 90 degrees. You can use the vacuum for balance, but don’t lean on it. You’ll know it’s working if you can feel it in your thighs, and it will help you burn calories as well as strengthen your legs and glutes.
2.) Abs and Scrubbing the Floor
Remember, your goal is to clean and workout at the same time. By getting down on your hands and knees to scrub the floor, you’ll work your abs and build a stronger core.
To begin, place a large wash rag under both hands, and get down on all fours. Stabilize your core, and slide your hands directly in front of you until you’re in an extended plank. Hold this posture for two counts, and then use your ab muscles to pull your hands back into position under your shoulders. Repeat until your floor is sparkling clean.
Besides having a clean floor, a strong core will make you look great when wearing a bathing suit, eliminate back pain, protect your inner organs, give you better posture and boost your self-confidence.
3.) Stairs and Laundry
When you have laundry or other items to put away upstairs, do it in multiple trips. The more the better because stair climbing is great conditioning for your legs and an outstanding cardio workout. You might even want to make more trips than necessary to burn more calories.
4.) Squats and Dishes
When unloading the dishwasher, don’t just bend over, grab the dishes and put them away. Instead, incorporate squats into this chore. To do so, hold the dish close to your body, keep your back straight and slowly lower yourself to a sitting position. Hold for a second or two, and then slowly stand to put the dish away. If you’ve got a full load of dishes, this can really be a challenging workout.
Although they primarily work the leg muscles, squats promote muscle growth throughout the entire body. This helps you to burn more fat and lose weight in addition to improving flexibility and toning your glute muscles.
5.) TV Workouts and Dusting
You can combine a little housecleaning into your favorite TV workout. While dusting may not burn a lot of calories, it’s still a chore that needs to be done. Combine your favorite workout or dance DVD by dusting your coffee table or end tables when you move forward. Or, when reaching up toward the ceiling, dust hanging pictures, mirrors or the top of the fridge.
Whether your a savvy single or a multi-tasking mama, by the time your holiday party rolls around, your home will be sparkling and your body will be in tip-top shape!
I’ll be trying your floor-washing tip! Why havent’ I thought of that before?
There’s a real bonus. I can clean my lower cabinets— along w/ edges of the floor— much better than with any mop.
Thanks for your feedback Regina! YES…good ‘ol fashion scrubbing cleans better most of the time…and burns more calories to boot 🙂 It’s a WIN-WIN (esp. when you use nontoxic cleaners of course). Triple WIN 🙂
Yep. Every time I clean for my customers, I think, “It’s healthier to be moving than chained to a desk all day”. And my abs are all the better for it. Oh, and at 60ish, I’m still maintaining a healthy weight!