Physical Activity: Housework Is Exercise!
For most of us, household chores are not particularly enjoyable. Yet, vacuuming, cleaning windows, or doing the dishes are daily tasks that can help you reach the recommended 30 minutes of physical activity per day. Housework is exercise, and it's good for your health!
Physical activity accessible to all
Doctors are unanimous: sedentary lifestyle is a scourge for our health, just like smoking or being overweight. Despite official recommendations, too few French people manage to reach the 30 minutes of physical activity each day.
If you are among those who always find a thousand excuses not to exercise, here is a suggestion that might surprise you. To get your daily dose of physical activity, just do the cleaning at home! You don't even need to leave your house, and you can't use bad weather, lack of time, or money as an excuse...
An activity that burns calories
The comparison between sports and housework may bring a smile. And yet, different household chores are activities that engage the entire body and allow you to burn calories.
Did you know that an hour of housework is equivalent to 15 minutes of running in terms of energy expenditure? More specifically, vacuuming for 30 minutes burns about 150 calories, and cleaning windows for an hour allows you to burn 250 calories.
If you're looking for a way to stay in shape, you'll never look at your vacuum cleaner or sponge the same way again!
Physical activity with multiple benefits
Housework, like gardening, falls into the category of physical activities recommended for health. This task, generally considered a chore, is much more beneficial than one might think!
Housework engages the muscles and offers several advantages:
• It strengthens muscle tone.
• It helps improve flexibility and balance.
• It burns calories (especially if household chores are done at a brisk pace).
Even more surprising, the benefits of housework on health are not only physical but also psychological! According to a study conducted by University College London, cleaning your home releases endorphins and provides a sense of well-being.
According to this study, just 20 minutes of housework per day can reduce anxiety, stress, and the risk of depression. You may have already noticed that this activity helps clear your mind and provides a sense of satisfaction once the cleaning is done and your home is spotless.
3 Tips to Maximize the Benefits of Cleaning
Now that you know the benefits of cleaning for your health, you might be wondering how to enhance the effect of household chores on your figure.
Here are 3 tips to help you turn your cleaning sessions into real gym workouts:
1- Slim your waist while sweeping.
Sweeping the floor is a great opportunity to slim your waist, provided you use the right technique. When reaching for dust on the sides, rotate by twisting your waist but not your hips. Exhale during the rotations to engage the obliques and transverse muscles, then return to the center while inhaling.
2- Strengthen your muscles while cleaning windows.
Cleaning windows is a task that engages the entire body, particularly the shoulders and thighs. Stand with your legs slightly apart, then rise onto your tiptoes and stretch one arm as high as possible. Once your body is extended, slide your arm and cloth downward in zigzag motions to loosen your shoulders and engage your abdominal muscles... but be careful not to always use the same arm! Switch sides with each window. To clean the lower part of the windows, bend your knees in a squat: it's a great way to tone your glutes!
3- Improve your posture while doing the dishes.
The next time you're at the sink, take the opportunity to work on your posture. With your legs hip-width apart, slightly turn your feet outward (in a duck stance) and contract your glutes. Feel your feet firmly anchored to the ground and lengthen your spine. Be careful not to hunch your back forward! To strengthen your core muscles, inhale while contracting the pelvic floor, then exhale fully while trying to press your navel against your spine.
