If only there was an upside to the tedious chores we slave over at home and in the garden. All those hours spent carrying out the duties that go unrewarded add up throughout the week, and over the course of the year, but the good news is that you may be getting fitter, healthier and stronger because of them. Check out the number of calories burned off with the top 10 housework activities below.
10. Walking the dog – 210 calories burned
Taking your pooch for a casual stroll is an obvious way to stretch your legs and take in fresh air, although it is also the tenth-highest home activity for burning off calories. Muscle groups worked are within the upper and lower legs so if you’re out regularly with your pet you may start to notice a change in the physique of your lower body over time.
9. Washing windows – 223 calories burned
Working your upper body to get to the stubborn dirt stains on window pains is tiring work, and this shows through the number of calories you can expect to burn when performing this activity for 60 minutes straight. Your arms and shoulders will feel the greatest benefit here.
8. Painting walls – 231 calories burned
As with washing windows, painting the walls in your home is a job that really tests your arms, shoulders and upper body muscle endurance as a whole. In addition to a new colour transformation in the rooms in your house, you are also pushing your body to become more accustomed to strenuous work.
7. Cleaning the carpet – 232 calories burned
Accidents like spills, blemishes and all sorts that take place on the carpets can be tough to negotiate, not to mention the general plucking out of foreign objects that get trodden. It comes as no surprise then that cleaning the carpet is a high energy activity that burns off many calories.
6. Vacuuming – 240 calories burned
It’s only back and forth you might think, however, walking the vacuum around the home clearly takes more energy than you think, if the numbers are anything to go by. Up to 240 calories can be burned off in a single one-hour session.
5. Washing the car – 245 calories burned
The hidden benefit of cleaning the car is the entire body gets a mini workout, including arms, legs, shoulders and even your core. Next time you wonder about whether to give your vehicle a wash down, think of the calories you’ll burn in doing so too!
4. Mopping the floor – 250 calories burned
There’s nothing much in it between mowing the lawn and mopping the floors of your home, as both activities focus on using arms and legs and work up a sufficient calorie expenditure in a short space of time. Mopping up mess may be dirty work but the additional fitness and health benefits can make up for it.
3. Cleaning the bathroom – 255 calories burned
Getting on your all-fours and scrubbing unruly stains in the bathroom is no easy task, especially when it comes to the tricky bits such as the toilet or shower unit. But with hard work comes a stack of calories burned – 255 to be exact! Your arms, shoulders and legs will also feel the burn too.
2. Mowing the lawn – 265 calories burned
Although an outdoor housework duty such as mowing the lawn can take up valuable leisure time, it is a seasonal activity that is balanced by having good weather (usually!). Performing this task for 30 minutes will help you burn off 122 calories and give both the legs and arms a fine tuning.
1. Gardening – 315 calories burned
A garden session involves all types of physical challenges that will help strengthen and tone both upper and lower body limbs, such as arms, shoulders and legs. Pruning, weeding, and even raking up the leaves all counts towards a healthy outcome, and you can burn roughly over 300 calories every hour in doing so.
All measurements were taken for a 60 minute period, and have been sourced by Treated.com’s housework athletics project, an online independent health and wellness resource.