Want to get in shape for the new season? Get indoors and start scrubbing.
According to a new study fittingly conducted by the Good Housekeeping Institute (GHI), rigorous household cleaning — including dusting, mopping and cleaning the bathroom — can be a surprisingly effective way to blast fat and burn calories.
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Researchers found that in just two hours, individuals could burn up to 600 calories by doing intense household chores — that’s nearly double the amount you might burn during a 5km run.
To measure the amount of calories burned during each “work out,” a.k.a cleaning session, participants were fitted with FitBit Flex 2 fitness trackers, with researchers calculating the average number of calories burned during 20 or 40 minute sessions.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, window cleaning (with all that reaching), topped the list as the most taxing task, followed by mopping and bathroom cleaning.
Calories burned in 20 minutes:
- Window cleaning — 115 calories
- Mopping the floor — 107 calories
- Cleaning the bathroom— 100 calories
- Dusting — 97 calories
- Vacuuming — 86 calories
So while housework may not be your favourite activity in the world, you may be more motivated knowing you’re getting a workout in while you’re at it.
“Unfortunately, there are some labour-intensive chores that need to be done, but the good news is that you will be getting fit while you’re doing them,” said GHI cleaning expert Verity Mann.