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| | From:  __ZOO__ (Original Message) | Sent: 1/4/2007 9:06 PM |
Double-Duty Exercise Opportunities
Written by RealAge, Inc., peer-reviewed by Dr. Axel Goetz, September 2004
Between never-ending household projects and picking up after the day's various activities, there doesn't seem to be much time left for taking care of yourself. But a hectic schedule is still no reason to forgo your daily workout. In fact, finding ways to make exercise part of your daily routine may help you live longer.
The benefits of sneaking in some extra calorie burning are enormous. In a recent study, seniors who exercised in their leisure time were 25% less likely to die of any cause during a 12-year period. With a little creativity, you can make exercise part of your routine no matter how long your to-do list is.
You can use this simple 2-step plan to sneak some calorie-burning intensity into most of the activities that dominate the typical list of household chores. Also, read on to learn some specific RealAge Boosters you can use right now to make your chores into a
workout.
Step 1: Add intensity
The key to turning any household task into exercise is to pick up the pace or intensity and sustain it for as long as comfortably possible without resting.
For example, if you have three floors to mop, throw on some headphones with upbeat music, put some major muscle behind your scrubbing, and time yourself to see if you can get a sparkling result under a certain time limit. This will help you keep the activity intense enough that it counts as exercise.
Step 2: Get creative
Some activities already require a high level of energy, such as | Top 10 household chores for burning calories*
| Chore | Calories | | 1. | Moving furniture | 225 | | 2. | Scrubbing floors | 189 | | 3. | Raking leaves | 171 | | 4. | Gardening | 162 | | 5. | Mowing the lawn | 162 | | 6. | Washing the car | 153 | | 7. | Cleaning windows | 153 | | 8. | Vacuuming | 84 | | 9. | Washing dishes | 76 | | 10. | Doing laundry | 72 |
* Estimations based on a 150-pound person and 30 minutes of activity | | weeding the garden or raking the lawn. Turning up the burn on some other, less intense activities, such as washing dishes or dusting, may require you to be a little more creative.
How do I get creative?
Try these RealAge Boosters for three creative ways to add muscle building and calorie burning to everyday chores. Adding these boosters is like adding calisthenics to the chore, and by doing so you could burn up to 180 extra calories per half hour of activity. |
Dirty dish dips
Has a mountain of dirty dishes come between you and your workout? Do both at the same time. Every 5 minutes, stop to use the kitchen counter for an upper body workout.
Areas worked: chest, arms.
Starting position: Facing counter; hands on edge of counter, arms straight; feet slightly farther than arm-length away from counter so that your body is at a slight angle.
Action: Without bending at your waist, slowly bend your elbows and lower your chest toward the counter. Dip your chest toward the counter as far as is comfortably possible for you before returning to your starting position. Repeat 5 to 10 times.
Tip: Make sure both the counter and your hands are very dry and your feet can't slip.
Backyard twists
Raking the yard is already a great workout. Do it for half an hour and you'll burn about 171 calories, which is close to what you'd expend by running a mile. Boost the calorie burning even higher with this raking twist.
Areas worked: arms, shoulders, stomach, back, sides.
Starting position: Rake gripped in both hands, right hand lowest on the rake handle; arms extended to make a long rake stroke.
Action: Reach the rake out as far as you can and pull debris back toward your left foot by taking long, steady strokes while twisting your hips and upper body to the left. Do half your raking with this motion, then move your left hand below your right on the rake handle and do the rest with a left-to-right twisting motion.
Tip: Start by raking for only a few minutes with this motion and add time as you get stronger. This motion works well when sweeping floors, too. Consult your healthcare provider first if you have back problems.
Squeaky clean squats
Many household chores require buckets of water. Whether you're mopping the floor, washing the car, or scrubbing windows, you can get a lower body workout with a couple of buckets half-filled with water.
Areas worked: arms, thighs, buttocks.
Starting position: Standing with one bucket handle gripped in each hand; feet shoulder-width apart; back, arms, and legs straight.
Action: Keep your arms straight down at your sides while you slowly squat by bending at the knee and hip joints. Lower yourself until your thighs are roughly parallel to the ground, then return to starting position. Repeat 10 times.
Tips: To avoid injury, keep your knees centered over your toes when squatting, do not allow your thighs to dip beyond parallel to the ground, and keep your back straight.
Adding up the minutes
It takes only a few extra minutes to turn a routine chore into a calorie-burning exercise. However, those minutes add up and count toward the RealAge minimum exercise requirement for optimal health—at least 30 minutes on most days of the week.
Always supplement your exercise routine with longer bouts of cardiovascular exercise, such as walking, whenever possible. But on days when time is scarce and the to-do list is long, remember that it's important to make exercise a priority. Doing your chores with a little extra energy and vigor is a great way to multitask. RA
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