Social distancing can be really hard and not being able to burn all those calories while lying around at home is just unfair. Many of us don’t have any exercise equipment at home, so it’s all the more difficult to get a good workout. Well, a great way to kill two birds with one stone is to turn your daily chores into workouts.
If you haven’t seen it already, our GOQii Play coaches did a fine job of turning some of their chores into workouts. You can find those videos on our social media pages but for now, let’s see how we can turn household chores into workouts!
- Sweeping & Mopping: Tune in to music and turn up the heat! Grab that mop and start dance cleaning like some good ol’ cliché in a movie, yes? NO! Instead throw away that mop, get down on your fours with a washcloth and start scrubbing those tiles. Now, this is where the gut wrenching part comes in. So all done yet? Well, Congratulations! You have successfully burnt 145 calories per 15 minutes. And for sweeping you don’t need a vacuum cleaner! Use a broom for that extra burn!
- Cooking: Considering the fact that you are on a preventive healthcare platform, I assume that you are not on any fast, pre-cooked or any kind of junk food. If you aren’t then it is good for you, especially in this situation it’s good for you 2X times! As working on a good home cooked meal can help you vaporise 75 calories including all the cutting, pounding, whisking, stirring etc.
- Dish Washing: Now that we have gone through the gut-wrenching part, let me introduce you to the back-bending section. Washing the dishes is a comparatively peaceful activity and needs to be done with a peaceful mind. Although you wouldn’t notice your stiff back until you are done with your chore. It is completely worth it when you finish your washing and crash on your sofa having burnt a total of 100-120 calories within 30 minutes. But don’t worry about your stiff back; it’s just your lazy muscles bent over the sink continuously.
- Laundry: Doing the laundry will never feel the same once you know of its health benefits. You can burn up to 78 calories in one hour by just loading and unloading the washing machine, including hanging up the clothes for drying, which equals to 50 sit-ups. Those who prefer washing clothes by hand, you’ll be surprised to know that you can burn anywhere between 100 to 220 calories in 30 minutes. Besides, your arms will get toned from all that scrubbing, rinsing and twirling. Squat while washing clothes, your quads and calves will get a good workout too.
- Ironing: With laundries in lockdown, you’re going to have to iron clothes yourself. There are some perks in it! Apart from burning 60 calories in 20 minutes, it tones your biceps. Also, note that standing rather than sitting while ironing your clothes will help you burn calories as well as wake those core muscles.
Now that you have read how you can turn your household chores into workouts, you’re all set for a healthy lockdown. You can help us a little by sharing these tips to your close ones and also by letting us know your thoughts in the comments below!
If you want an extra burn, you can also try these 5 workouts you can do at home.
Stay home, stay safe, get active and #BeTheForce!
Right now, you’re probably experiencing a lot of boredom being in lockdown for this long. No doubt that we’re all dealing with it the best way we can as most of us aren’t used to being idle at home. Another way to look at this is that you get to spend more time with family! So, instead of getting anxious about this situation, let’s see how we can turn all that idle time into something productive! 
Apart from all the preventive measures we can take against COVID-19, should exercise be considered one of them? Can regular exercise actually protect us against COVID-19? Some might agree whereas others might not. In 1998, a large study showed that mild to moderate exercise performed about 4-5 times a week reduced the risk of dying during the Hong Kong flu outbreak. Could it be the same for COVID-19? Let’s find out! 
Scientists have studied the Flu for decades. Despite its dangers, we know a lot about the Flu and viruses that cause it. In contrast, very little is known about the novel coronavirus. Both COVID-19 and Flu are respiratory illnesses that spread from person to person. This article will discuss the differences between COVID-19 and the Flu.
