Make a Workout of Household Chores

Here’s how you can get the activity you need while getting your errands done

When you think of “exercise,” you most likely picture working out at a gym, on the tennis court or in a pool. But you may not realize that tackling your household activities can help you get some of the exercise you need.

“When you climb the stairs with laundry or mow the lawn, you’re getting exercise,” says exercise physiologist Eric Witzel of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Center. “Household tasks can elevate your heart rate and work all of your major muscle groups and burn extra calories.”

Even ironing, which seems like a pretty tame activity, strengthens your arm muscles, he says. The bottom line: if you have chores to do, why not super-charge them with some calorie-burning power? Here are some ideas:

Calorie Burners	Calorie SUPER-CHARGER
Climbing stairs	Walking up a flight of stairs at least three times a day Gradually walking upstairs faster and more often
Doing housework Baking bread	Foregoing the bread machine and kneading it yourself
Cleaning closets	Boxing up old clothes and taking them to charity (see “running errands,” below)
Doing laundry	Bringing laundry downstairs (and back up) one load at a time so you climb the stairs more frequently
Ironing	Alternating your hands and arms to work both sides of body
Loading the dishwasher	Washing dishes by hand
Mopping the floor	Using sponge or wring mop, not spray cleaner
Shopping for groceries	Bringing in one bag at a time from the car for extra steps
Vacuuming the house	Vacuuming the basement (alternate your hands to work both sides of the body)
Moving boxes upstairs	Taking boxes upstairs one at a time
Mowing the lawn	Switching off self-propulsion feature on self-propelled lawn mowers Using a push, not riding mower
Playing with children while sitting	Playing a game of tag with the kids
Pushing a child in a stroller	Picking up the pace
Raking the yard/Shoveling snow	Alternating your hands and arms to work both sides of your body
Running errands	Parking far from stores so you can walk further
Sweeping the garage	Sweeping your family member’s or a neighbor’s garage
Shopping	Walking extra laps around the mall or aisles of the grocery store
Walking your dog	Walking your family member’s or a neighbor’s dog
Washing the car	Washing it by hand, not at drive-through
Waxing the car	Skipping the power buffer and buff-waxing it by hand
Working in the garden	Alternating your hands and arms to work both sides of your body Weeding and edging your garden by hand Helping neighbors or family with their yard work

Need help getting started on an exercise program? Call 610-402-CARE to learn about how a session with an exercise physiologist can help.

Want to know how many calories household activities can burn?
Activity per ½ hour (unless otherwise noted)	100 lbs.	150 lbs.	200 lbs.
Automobile repair	68	102	136
Carrying boxes	159	238	318
Child care: sitting/kneeling-dressing, feeding	68	102	136
Child care: standing-dressing, feeding	80	119	159
Electrical work, plumbing	80	119	159
Gardening, moderate	90	135	180
Housework	90	135	180
Ironing	50	75	100
Mopping	85	128	170
Moving boxes upstairs	204	306	408
Mowing	135	202	270
Packing/unpacking boxes, standing	80	119	159
Playing with child/children, sitting	57	85	114
Pushing or pulling stroller with child	57	85	114
Raking	75	112	150
Scrubbing the floor	140	210	280
Shopping for groceries	60	90	120
Snow shoveling	195	292	390
Stair climbing	140	210	280
Sweeping garage or sidewalk	91	136	182
Trimming hedges	105	158	210
Vacuuming	75	112	150
Washing the car	75	112	150
Waxing the car	100	150	200
Weeding	100	150	200
Window cleaning	75	112	150
Calorie expenditures courtesy of Cybersoft, Inc. and NutriStrategy.