Life is hectic, so it can be difficult to sneak in a workout. Fortunately, you burn calories just by doing regular activities like gardening, sweeping and washing dishes. An average person burns about 1,600 calories a day just by doing daily activities without even stepping foot in the gym..
Here are 10 ways you workout every day, the calories burned and how to spice up everyday activities, so you can burn even more. Each activity is based on a 150-pound woman who does the activity for an hour. Please watch the video or read the text below.
1. Dish Washing
While washing dishes may seem like a drag, you can burn calories while your elbows are deep in suds. To burn more calories, try cleaning the tables and washing the dishes while putting extra effort in to use all of your muscles.
Try to wash the dishes while standing on one leg. By doing this you will burn more calories and improve your balance.
Calories burned: 88 if washing and standing, 102 if it includes clearing the dishes on the table
2. Sweeping and Mopping
Constant movement of back and forth sweeping and mopping can help you burn some major calories. Include dancing while doing this to make things enjoyable and the amount of calories burned will soar.
Calories burned: 170
3. Laundry
Doing laundry can burn quite a few calories, especially if you’re carrying baskets up and down stairs, putting clothes away, climbing a flight of stairs or walking a lot between rooms.
Make laundry more enjoyable by listening to your favorite songs and dance through the house while you’re working.
Every time you squat or go upstairs to pick up the clothes, you work your thighs and hip muscles, adding lean muscle mass to help you burn more calories.
Calories burned: 68 if folding or putting clothes in washer and dryer, 88 if putting clothes away and walking around
4. Grocery Shopping
Grocery shopping is unavoidable whether you like it or not. Keep things interesting to do a workout and push your cart faster. Walking through the store will increase your heart rate and metabolism.
You may try to park your car far away from the grocery store, so you have to walk a further distance pushing the cart or by making an extra trips around the isles. Bag your own groceries as well.
Calories burned: 190
5. Mowing
Pushing a heavy lawnmower around the yard is a real workout. Much more if you have slopes or hills in your backyard, you will really feel the burn.
Also, you get a little fresh air and Vitamin D – just be sure to wear your sunscreen.
Calories burned: 269
6. Yard Work and Gardening
If you’re fan of gardening, you’re in luck. Gardening, being outside, pulling weeds, carrying leaves, raking, shoveling, digging, or carrying mulch will all help you burn calories.
Pulling weeds or raking as quickly as possible will definitely get your heart rate up which gives you a better workout.
Calories burned: 196
7. Shoveling Snow
Cleaning the snow early in the morning is the last thing you probably want to do after waking up, but to leave home you have to.
For those people that live in winter climates, snow shoveling burns lots of calories. You’ll be glad to know that you can consider it as your morning workout. Also, all of the lifting will tone up your arms.
However, it is important to shovel safely. Try to avoid extra bending and twisting at the waist, be sure to lift with your legs and make sure that you’re lifting only that you can handle, hence, wet snow can be heavy. And be sure to take a rest if you feel dizzy or have trouble breathing.
Calories burned: 304
8. Cooking
Who knew that cooking can also burn calories? Chopping vegetables, back and forth to the fridge and other muscle straining activities in the kitchen will certainly burn your calories. All this work is worth it for your belly and for your waistline.
Calories burned: 98
9. Fidgeting
While constantly patting your leg or foot is probably a nuisance to neighboring cubicle, this can burn calories.
Pump your ankles up and down while waiting for an appointment or sitting down at your desk and squeeze your shoulder blades together holding for 10 seconds, can burn calories.
Calories: up to 350 per day
10. Sleeping
You might be wondering how sleeping is working out. If you do not get enough sleep, you burn fewer calories in different ways.
Lack of sleep can mess with your hormones. A change causes you to lose muscle, and another to store more fat. A bad combo because muscle burns more calories than fat. It increases the ghrelin (hunger hormone) while the leptin which puts the brakes on your appetite, goes down.
Keep a regular sleep and wake up schedule. Turn off the electronics an hour before bedtime and set the temperature in your room between 60 and 67 degrees.
Turn your tasks up a notch
Add a twist to any activity so you can maximize the burning of calories. Increasing the rate or adding other steps are two ways to get started.
Maintaining good posture can also help. Pull your shoulder blades back, squeeze your stomach muscles and keep your butt muscles engaged.
Losing weight means that you have to burn more calories than the amount of calories being consumed. Eating healthier foods and smaller portions, preparing healthier meals, and adding some extra exercises all help.
