Stay Fit with Household Chores

Gyms are shuttered and you may be stuck in the house all day without much to do. In some cities, outdoor exercise is off the table, too, as hiking trails are roped off and parks are closed. With all of your socializing happening on Zoom, there’s no pressing reason to get out of your PJs or sweats either. All of these factors create the perfect recipe for letting your fitness commitments slide and slowly turning into a couch potato.

Eventually, though, life will return to normal and you’ll need to fit into real clothing again. And when that happens, you want to be ready. Lucky for you, you don’t need the gym or a jog around the block to keep fit. All you need is a list of household chores to tackle.  Let’s whip your muscles — and your house — into shape!

Chore # 1: Vacuum your rugs

Calories burned per hour: 190

It’s time to break out the vacuum; your abdominal muscles are waiting! The forward and backward motion of vacuuming is a fantastic workout for your abs.

To get more for your muscles:

As you vacuum, flex your muscles one at a time, beginning at your pelvis and moving into your upper abs.
Do leg lunges every few minutes as you push the vacuum back and forth across your floors.

Chore #2: Mop your floors

Calories burned per hour: 195

Make those floors sparkle — and give your abs and arms a great workout!

Tip: Before you start, clear your floors from clutter and dirt so you’ll be able to clean as many surfaces as possible in succession, quickening your heart rate.

To get more for your muscles:

Flex your abs and squat instead of bending if you need to get to a hard-to-reach space.
Switch arms as you sweep or mop so you’re reaching and pulling back with your right and left sides evenly.
When you hit a hard spot, get down on your hands and knees to scrub. This will help tone your shoulders and upper arms.

Chore # 3: Wash your windows

Calories burned per hour: 180

Wipe that grime off your windows while you tone your upper and lower arm muscles.

Get more for your muscles:

Use your left and right hands equally.
Wipe in a circular motion for maximum workout.
Reach up as high as you can to work your abs and lower back muscles, too.

Chore # 4: Wash your dishes

Calories burned per hour: 120 

All that scrubbing and rinsing under sudsy water provides a great workout for your arm muscles.

Get more for your muscles:

For really tough stains, use vigorous scrubbing in place of soaking. This will boost your calorie-torching to 160 an hour.
While waiting for your dishes to air-dry, do some squats on your kitchen floor.