Are you too broke to get a gym membership? Are you too busy to actually go to the gym? If you’re looking to burn a few calories and lose some weight, then we’ve got some great news for you.
What if you could be productive and burn calories at the same time? Several studies show that it is possible to burn a significant amount of calories simply by doing chores around the house. Yes, there’s finally a great reason to do the household chores!
Here are some everyday chores that you may want to start doing around the house:
Sweeping and mopping the floor
Sweeping and mopping the floor aren’t just great exercises for your lower and upper body—they’re also an excellent way to burn around 240 calories per hour. In order to clean your house in an efficient manner, first work on the dirtiest areas of the house, and then move on to the cleaner areas later on.
Cooking
Cooking may seem like so much more work compared to dining out or ordering something to go, but what if all the hustling and bustling around the kitchen could burn around 150 calories per hour? Well, it can. Not only will you be preparing a healthy meal, but you’ll burn calories while you do it — it’s a win-win situation.
Painting
Have you been procrastinating on painting that bedroom or staining that deck you’ve got outside? Painting is a very good way to build lean muscle mass, as well as exercise those arm and leg muscles. It’s also an excellent way to burn 200+ calories per hour.
Gardening
Spend your afternoons watering the plants and working on your flower or vegetable garden in your backyard. You’ll not only get some healthy time in the sun, but you’ll burn somewhere around 250 calories per hour, too! As an added bonus, you’ll be able to grow your own vegetables—benefitting both your waistline and your wallet.
Mowing the lawn
Why hire an expensive gardener to mow your lawn when you can do it on your own? Mowing the lawn is a tiring, tedious job—but it’s not something you need to do on a daily basis. Invest in a push mower or even a manual lawn mower, and get a fantastic workout by burning around 325 calories per hour.
Shoveling snow
When winter arrives, grab a shovel. Get rid of that excess weight from your holiday treats by shoveling the snow from your driveway and sidewalk. How much can you burn from this extremely strenuous exercise? Around 415 calories per hour!
Washing the car
There’s no need to hit the car wash if you’re able to do it yourself. Clean your car and work on your abdominals and arm muscles, as well. Burn approximately 140 calories for every 30 minutes you wash your car!
Hitting the gym, swimming laps and running marathons aren’t the only ways to get some exercise. Do these household chores on a regular basis and you won’t just be crossing something off your to-do list—you’ll be burning calories and shedding pounds, too! Check out the MenScience Calories Burned Calculator for more calorie counts.
About the Author:
Kristine M. is a freelance writer. She mostly tackles health issues along with tips and suggestions to battle the most common problems that go along with it. When she is not giving health information, Kristine helps in the blogging and administration activities of Broadband Expert Group, a high speed internet provider company. Check out for her next post to learn more on how to live healthy.
