by Judith Willson

Created on: November 10, 2010   Last Updated: November 28, 2010

In order to lose weight you  need to exercise.  Most people should be exercising for about an hour at least three times a week.  Housecleaning is an ideal opportunity to combine two, potentially very boring tasks, into one.  To make both the exercise and the cleaning less dull you can also put on some music, an audio book, or a radio sitcom.

Speed clean

Slowly strolling through your house dusting, half heartedly folding laundry and lethargically putting things away does not count as quality exercise.  However doing all the chores as fast as you can should raise your heartbeat and even get you out of breath. 

Give the appliances a day off

Vacuum cleaners, tumble dryers, dishwashers, and washing machines are great labour saving devices.  However saving energy is not exactly what you need to be doing when losing weight.  Sweeping floors and beating rugs is several times more strenuous than vacuuming.  Handwashing clothes, at least some of them, uses muscles that sticking them in the machine does not.  To a lesser extent handwashing dishes and hanging clothes also burn a few extra calories.

Clean those forgotten places

The bending, stretching and scrubbing required to clean the U-bend, the oven, and behind the fridge work your muscles quite effectively.  If you have finished the unskippable chores then move on to these.  The bonus is your house will smell better and there will be less chance of pests moving in.

Go outside

Gardening is fantastic exercise and your neglected garden is part of your home.  It could probably do with some digging, hoeing, or trimming.  If it looks tidy enough already then get started on some new projects.  Just digging holes for plants is good exercise and your garden will become a nicer place.

Do all those minor home improvements

If you have finished all the cleaning and gardening but still feel you need more exercise then this is the time to start doing those little jobs you have been putting off for months.  Painting a spare room, putting up curtains, or shifting the furniture around are all physical activities with a purpose.  You’ll burn up calories and feel you have achieved something else too.

Exercise doesn’t just mean going to the gym.  Many everyday activities actually count as exercise, and so speed up weight loss, if done with enough energy and speed.  Your housework is a necessary chore so you might as well turn it into good exercise too.

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