Nowadays, there’s never enough time to do everything. Or even half of it. Trying to fit in work, family and social commitments is tough enough without adding the extra necessities of sleep, domestic chores and – heaven forbid – keeping fit.
Hate housework? Think of the benefits. Two hours of domestic chores could burn the same calories as a workout. And your house will look lovely, too
Happily, there’s a mini answer: turn your housework into a workout.
Researchers (presumably with immaculate offices) claim that domestic chores and gardening can boost fitness levels and build lean muscle, as well as burn anything from three to six times more calories than a sofa-bound hour in front of the box. More, if a few cheeky snacks are next to the remote.
The working principles are the same as exercise: the more effort you put in, the more you get out of it. And having your favourite music on can make you work even harder – especially if you sing while you work. My neighbours will love me.
So, what do you gain or, even better, lose? On average, an hour spent robustly hoovering, sweeping and mopping can burn around 240 calories, as well as help tone up the arms, legs and core.
For running up and down stairs at every opportunity, make that more than 500 calories an hour. Carrying children and heavy shopping adds even more to the workload. No wonder those 1950s housewives had waspish waists.
Polishing and dusting also get the thumbs up, especially with beeswax and some hefty elbow grease. As does ironing and scrubbing the bathroom. While the hour I spend every month cleaning my windows, inside and out, makes me feel like I’ve been for a run at high noon in Singapore.
Bending and stretching while making the bed and doing the laundry is all good for toning the thighs and buttocks, and improving flexibility. A few hours’ spent spring cleaning burns yet more calories. So does decorating. About 290 calories an hour, as well as working the leg and arm muscles, and boosting motor skills.
Gardening is even better. An hour of weeding, digging, trimming, pruning, and especially mowing the lawn all help tone and build muscle, and can burn around 300 calories an hour. If anything needs chopping down, make that 400.
And don’t forget cooking. It’s not just the hot stoves and waiting customers that make chefs sweat. Chopping, whisking, stirring, peeling, and kneading dough all add to the fitness as well as the culinary mix. That’s about 150 calories lost – before you start eating.
So, two hours of vigorous domestic industry can be as effective as an hour at the gym – without having to leave your lovely clean home. Scheduling chores into one-hour or two-hour “housework workout” blocks could prove a cost-free boost to your fitness regime.
Finally, there’s the psychological bonus. Whether you love housework or loathe it, it’s like tax: unavoidable. Yet, unlike tax, the pleasure of finally seeing it all done, done well, and knowing it has done you well, makes it twice as beneficial.
I think I’ll put my trainers on. And hoover the living room.
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