May
Is Housework Exercise?
Today we have a guest writer. He has investigated and found how much exercise you can get from house cleaning. Let’s see what Guy Marlow has to say.
House Cleaning Fitness
Many people live a busy life in this day and age which stops them from pursuing a fitness regime that sees them travel to the gym three or four times a week to get fit. This does not mean you can use this as an excuse to not keeping fit.
There are many ample opportunities in the home to keep fit, opportunities that also fit in to your daily workload without you realising it. If you work your household chores correctly you could make a fitness regime from your cleaning duties, meaning you don’t even need to visit the local gym.
I must say at this point there may be quite a few of you sighing as you do not like your household chores, don’t worry I am one of those people. What you have to think is “Hey this is helping my fitness and supporting my weight loss”, to do this though you have to manage your chores effectively.
Below is a list of household chores and the calories they burn.
- Cleaning windows: 40 calories for ten minutes
- Scrubbing floors on: 50 calories for ten minutes
- Vacuum cleaning: 40 calories for ten minutes
- Dusting: 30 calories for ten minutes
- Mopping: 40 calories for ten minutes
- Making beds: 20 calories for ten minutes
- Washing the dishes: 30 calories for ten minutes
Now we break these down in to three fitness workouts that will benefit your body greatly and support your home routine at the same time! Imagine doing the housework yet seeing this as a fitness benefit.
Day one
- 20 minutes cleaning windows
- 15 minutes scrubbing floors
- 20 minutes washing dishes
- Total - 215 calories burned
Day two
- 20 minutes dusting
- 30 minutes vacuum cleaning
- 20 minutes making beds
- Total - 220 calories burned
Day three
- 20 minutes mopping
- 20 minutes washing dishes
- 20 minutes vacuum cleaning
- Total - 220 calories burned
If you find these three workouts interesting and want to make them harder then why not try adding other household chores to the fitness workouts.
It is important to note that to get the most out of this training regime you need to complete all house hold chores without breaks in between so you work up a sweat. Actually thinking about it this is also a benefit as it means you complete your chores in a more timely fashion so that you have more time to rest!
This article was written by Guy Marlow, writer and owner of www.musclepowershop.com
Now - I ask you - What household chores do you do that will burn calories? Leave a comment.


Ohhh if I had time for all that I’d have a wonderfully clean house! I spend too much time at work in front of a computer, now how can I get I get fit doing that..lol
May 11th, 2008 at 1:45 amWow! Maybe I should get rid of my cleaning lady : )
May 12th, 2008 at 8:02 amawesome post! I think I will use this. My two sons love working out but hate house chores. Now they have no excuse!
May 12th, 2008 at 12:39 pm