Cleaning house can be an undertaking, can’t it? With piles of endless laundry, and room after room to vacuum, the chores on your to-do list every Saturday can seem impossible to control. By the end of the day, who has the energy to squeeze a workout in? Luckily, you’re a ‘go getter’, who always jumps on an opportunity to accomplish two things at once. Need a great ‘two for one’? Exercise while working out! Let us show you the way.
News Flash: A Clean House Can Rev Up Your Metabolism
Who knew that cleaning a house could help you get that extra cardio in, with just a little bit of extra effort? While sweeping and mopping your floors each week (or even better yet, every couple of days), contract those core muscles! Tighten up your core as you would during a set of sit-ups, and strengthen while you sweep.
Turn the Beats Up
A recent study showed that the louder the music played, the harder the participants exercised. Don’t keep cranking up the beats until they reach a deafening tone of course, but make sure your ‘Beyoncé to the Beatles’ playlist is turned up loud enough to sing along, dance along, and burn off last night’s dessert! What type of music really gets those endorphins going? What makes you happiest, and boosts your energy level?
Try this exercise to rev up your metabolism: Create a playlist of your favorite music type. If it’s hip hop, go with that. If it’s Latin, or 80’s rock, pick your favorite songs (about 10 or so) and make this your hard core ‘house workout beats’. While washing dishes, do calf raises. Walk up and down your stairs (10-15 times).
When wiping off your countertops, engage your abs! Tighten and contract your abdomen muscles as you wipe off your counters, and keep your back straight. Tighten your buttocks, and with one side at a time, rotate your arms in a circular pattern while wiping your counters clean.
Clean Under the Tables (For a Great Squat Workout!)
It’s an awful feeling when you’ve spent a whole afternoon cleaning, sweeping and vacuuming, only to find areas under the cracks that you missed. Think about your household chores like this: the harder you clean, the more calories you burn. Lunge your way from room to room. Or, squat while you extend your broom under the kitchen to nab those ‘hard to reach’ crumbs hiding out in the corner.
Doing household chores is the perfect opportunity to get a mini workout in. When your to-list continues to grow and it seems impossible to head to the gym, squat while you sweep, and tighten while you fold laundry. It’s a win/win!
