How to turn your domestic chores into exercise?

bekdavis

what do you do to make your daily chores burn more calories? I am looking forward to hearing the responses to this one...

MrswhoIusedtobe

I put on really good upbeat music and turn sweeping or dusting into cardio by dancing It's really fun and when you are done you definitely feel like you just did a heavy duty work out. sometimes my legs will get sore haha

kittytrix

As I mop I do a little plie or squat as I push the mop outwards. I also do some plies as I dip and dunk the mop back into the bucket. I also agree that adding music will get you moving a little faster.

Sasha_Bear

Yep I agree music really get you moving sometimes I thrown on ankle weights or wrist weights while cleaning as well.

MissAnjy

I dance while sweeping, mopping & vaccuuming.
I do jumping jacks or backwards lunges/kicks while waiting for water to boil (cooking)

iplayoutside19

Anytime I address the laundry I knock out 25 push-ups and 25 sit-ups. Some days this turns into a major workout. Somedays it doesn't.

This is mostly because I share my workout space with the washer and dryer.

alexhage

Well i acctually burn more when i vacuum my 2 room appartment then when i sit on my stationary bike for 30 minutes. I also like to clean of surfaces (windows, tables, mirrors) quickly and with big movements. That definitly can get my heart going.
Good Luck with your weight loss!

alexhage

Well i acctually burn more when i vacuum my 2 room appartment then when i sit on my stationary bike for 30 minutes. I also like to clean of surfaces (windows, tables, mirrors) quickly and with big movements. That definitly can get my heart going.
Good Luck with your weight loss!

ajbeans

What happened to my response? Blargh.

I do a slight marching in place while I do dishes, kind of side to side so I can feel it in the outsides of my hips. I don't know if it burns many calories, but it tightens up those saddlebag muscles.

While picking up toys (or dirty socks, or whatever's on your floor) do one squat per item. All the way down, grab item, all the way up, then repeat for the next item. No cheating by grabbing two items on the same squat, and maintain good posture so you're working the right muscles. No bending at the waist.

Carry laundry to the bedrooms one armload at a time. Only use a basket at the end for little things like socks and undies. Everything else is only one small pile that you can carry in your arms, then come back for the next armload.

audjrey

Oh let me tell you how much I just love this question because housework is so underrated as a potential exercise!

First, either purchase yourself a weighted belt or vest, or use a backpack and fill it with about 8-10 pounds of soft materials and wear it all the while you do everything from sweeping to running up and down your stairs.

Secondly, when you do go up and down your stairs (hopefully you have some), take them two-by-two instead of single steps. Make sure your entire foot is on the step, not just your toes. This way you really utilize those glutes!

Thirdly, when sweeping and mopping, wear weighted hand or wrist weights to get a good shoulder and upper back workout.

Fourthly, when sweeping or picking up stuff off the floor, make sure you do a few extra squats.

Fifthly, instead of walking from room to room, do walking lunges to get around the house.

Finally, invest in a chin-up bar and place it in the door way of a room you almost always go by when cleaning daily. Every time you pass by do 5-10 chin ups and 5-10 straight leg pull ups to work the abs.

And who said house work was easy???? LOL!

sassylilmama

I do squats while doing laundry. I have front loaders so I squat to put each item in and to pull each item out.

bzmom

I use my ipod when sweeping/mopping and dance around!

sixpackgoal

I spit firewood by hand with an axe for a core workout. My neigbor has a splitter which he offers to me all the time.
He says you don't have to do that by hand. I just think " Man, I am glad I can".

iplayoutside19

I spit firewood by hand with an axe for a core workout. My neigbor has a splitter which he offers to me all the time.
He says you don't have to do that by hand. I just think " Man, I am glad I can".

Last week when I was shoveling snow. I did my drive and sidewalk, but that wasn't enough of a workout...so I did the nieghbors. Would have done another neighbors but I ran out of time.

maffydavison

What happened to my response? Blargh.

I do a slight marching in place while I do dishes, kind of side to side so I can feel it in the outsides of my hips. I don't know if it burns many calories, but it tightens up those saddlebag muscles.

While picking up toys (or dirty socks, or whatever's on your floor) do one squat per item. All the way down, grab item, all the way up, then repeat for the next item. No cheating by grabbing two items on the same squat, and maintain good posture so you're working the right muscles. No bending at the waist.

Carry laundry to the bedrooms one armload at a time. Only use a basket at the end for little things like socks and undies. Everything else is only one small pile that you can carry in your arms, then come back for the next armload.

I'm so with you on this. The bedrooms are upstairs and the laundry is downstairs. I use the basket for the stragglers like socks and undies and do the stairs for each armful.

So much of cleaning is actually picking up and moving (office work on the dining room table instead of in the upstairs office, for example) so I use the stairs for this, too. Squats for things on the floor, and lunges up the hall while waiting for the oven to beep done or the water to boil, etc.

This reminds me that I never input that stuff in here. I enter my runs and gym exercises, but not cleaning. I am missing out on an exercise bonus!