How to Stay Healthy and Fit Without Working Out
For many people, intense exercise is actually among their favorite activities. Triathletes, marathon runners and bodybuilders have become so dedicated to their strenuous workouts that they have come to sincerely enjoy them.
Of course, this is not the case for everyone. For those who are just looking to start getting active, it’s important to understand you don’t have to start by lifting weights, running five miles, jumping rope, downloading the newest fitness app or even leaving the house.
The best place to start is often by doing more work. Sedentary labor is a necessary aspect of many jobs in our modern world, but there are still plenty of ways to structure more movement into each day. Moreover, many of them are simple changes that offer double productivity.
For example, most household chores require some amount of physical activity and yard work is often extremely demanding on the body – resulting in a great ‘workout’ that kills two birds with one stone.
“Research by Wren Kitchens reveals we burn over 50,000 calories every month, just by doing household chores! That translates to burning 1,478 calories every day,” according to an article from Good Housekeeping. The writeup went on to provide the following estimated weekly averages for calories burned while doing different chores:
- Mopping: 405
- Vacuuming: 387
- Decluttering: 240
- Laundry: 700
- Unloading the car: 300
Outdoor chores offer fresh air and extra sweat while burning calories. According to WebMD, you can expect the below calorie burns from these different chores (per 30 minutes, with a weight range of 125-200 pounds):
- Mowing the lawn: 135-200
- Washing the car: 135-185
- Raking leaves: 120-200
- Cleaning the gutters: 150-222
- Walking the dog: 135-200
- Gardening: 135-200
In addition to doing chores around the house, WikiHow Fitness suggests numerous other easy lifestyle changes that will boost your heart rate and improve your health, including:
- Taking the stairs over the elevator
- Ride a bike or walk instead of driving
- Swap your office chair for a fitness ball
- Schedule walking meetings (instead of sitting)
- Stand while in waiting rooms
There are plenty of ways to get and stay active – sometimes it just requires some creativity and extra effort. Half a dozen small changes can be more impactful than one ‘big’ change, so find the ones that work for you and get started today!
