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How to Turn Household Chores Into a Workout

Household chores into workout

Taking care of the house is a never-ending job! I still remember my mother being so caught up with household chores that she never got the time to workout. One day when I got home after working out, I saw my mother doing the regular housework and an idea struck me! What if we can turn daily household chores into a workout routine?

Benefits of Turning Household Chores Into a Workout

Most people struggle with the fact that due to the lack of time, they skip working out. If you turn household chores into a workout routine, you’re killing two birds with one stone. You find your chores as well as get a good, light workout.

Like any other physical activity, housework can tone muscles if done correctly and in the right posture. It’s already proved that short bouts of relatively mild exercise can help improve your fitness levels, especially for those who do little or no physical activity or are just getting started. To top it off, this can help you break the monotony of routine and add a little bit of fun to completing chores.

Here’s How You Get Started

  1. Lunges (Vacuum Cleaning): While using the vacuum cleaner, you can walk in a lunges posture. Remember to keep your knees directly above your ankles, your back straight and your abs engaged. You will know this is working by feeling the pressure in your thighs and glutes. Lunges are a good exercise for strengthening, sculpting and building several muscles/muscle groups, including the quadriceps (or thighs), the gluteus maximus (or buttocks) and the hamstrings as well.
  2. Squats: Pick up items on the floor or tables by squatting. Keep your back straight, squat deeply by bending your knees. Hold for 15 seconds before rising up again. A Squat is an exercise that primarily trains the muscles of the thighs, hips and buttocks. It also works the quadriceps (vastus lateral, vastus medialis, vastus intermedius and rectus femoris), hamstrings, and strengthens the bones, ligaments as well as the insertion of the tendons throughout the lower body
  3. Make Sweeping Movements: Instead of cleaning haphazardly when scrubbing glass doors or cleaning windows, make long, sweeping movements. For instance, when you are cleaning the doors or windows, take long swipes from top to bottom, squatting (not bending) to reach the lower spots. This will give you a fantastic shoulder workout and engage your entire lower body. If you want you can also hold a small bucket of water in your other hand to increase the strength of your arms.
  4. Sweeping: While sweeping, tuck your stomach and oblique muscles in, keep your back straight and bring the bristles of the broom as far as possible and pull in.
  5. Dance on the Beat: Turn on the music system while doing household chores and dance to the music the way you want. Try to use some fast music so you’ll be encouraged to pick up your speed and break a sweat. If you’re wondering how dancing helps your health, click here.
  6. Step it up: Use a stepladder, stairs or step stool when you need to reach high areas. Try to repeat the same steps 8-10 times. Trust me, this is a really great exercise for your hamstrings, provided you keep your back straight. You can simulate your own step aerobics session this way!
  7. Loading the Washing machine: When you are loading or unloading your washing machine, just twist and move more. This movement will help to strengthen your core.
  8. Sculpt and Fold: Lifting laundry can be the toughest part of your routine. Tone your arms by holding them raised at 90° angle as you carry the laundry basket. Use the squats and lunges posture with your legs as your fold.
  9. Take a Swing. Instead of cleaning your rugs, carpets, sheet using a vacuum cleaner, take them outside, hang them up, pick up your broom and show your muscular talent! Swing away to beat out the dust and dirt. Performing this activity will help you involve more muscles than vacuuming alone and help you get some fresh air as well.
  10. Always Prefer Stairs: Instead of making one trip up and down, try to convert it into multiple trips with the clean or dirty clothes. Remember, we have a target to do more work as a workout, not less work with the help of machines!

What are you waiting for! Make your household chores something to look forward to by turning them into a workout. Try this for a week and let us know if you see any changes. Leave your thoughts in the comments below!

Find more tips on exercising and workouts here. If you need help with your workouts, learn from the best by signing up for an interactive GOQii PRO class where you’ll be guided in real-time by a certified expert. Book a class now from the GOQii App.

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5 basic exercises to shed your excess weight –Part 1

walk-or-run

In today’s hectic life – with packed schedules, calendars have no column for relaxation or time for doing anything good. This also translates into “No Time” for eating healthy food which invariably leads one to have all sorts of JUNK food available on the menu.  and is a ready to eat option. Outcome of overeating junk food is ‘excess weight’.

Excess weight slowly and steadily leads to Obesity and to shed this excess weight and get back on track becomes a huge task. Nevertheless it is not impossible if one puts in the effort, had dedication and patience. Exercise is the key to creating a physically, mentally, and emotionally healthier body. However, at the same time, some of the moves may be too painful or nearly impossible for those who are heavy.

Here are some basic exercise which can be done to avoid unhealthy lifestyle, without any harm:

  1. Walking–This is one of the best and basic workouts that can be done by one and all, anywhere without spending a single penny and is a low-impact aerobic exercise. It may still be difficult to work for those who are morbidly corpulent, which is when baby steps need to be implemented with a walker, walking cane, or assistance. Slow walking burns extra calories for those carrying extra weight because they have to exert more energy than a normal-weight person.Friends Power Walking in Park
  1. Exercise Ball Workouts: people on the heavier side often find it difficult to exercise in front of others. The best solution in this case is Exercise Ball, which is really a great help to do different workouts at home. An exercise ball will help them to do the variety of strengthening, toning, stretching and balancing exercises with support. Exercise balls can be used for abdominal crunches by lying on your back, setting your ankles onto the ball, and lifting upward with your core and both arms behind your head.

You can do:

# “Bouncing On the Ball Workout” targets: core, quads, glutes, and hamstrings

# “Inner-Thigh Squeeze Workout”, targets – Strengthens inner thighs and core

# “Half Squat” with the help of Exercise Ball and wall”, which targets: Strengthens abs, glutes, and hamstrings

Once you get comfortable with the ball, try incorporating it into your everyday activities, such as sitting on it while you are on the computer, eating at the dinner table, or reading a book.

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  1. Aqua Aerobics: You can perform your exercise under water because water makes you feel lighter by helping to support your body weight. It also lessens the impact on your joints. You can do swimming if you know.

For more read my Blog “One-Stop Shop Workout – Swimming”:  http://goqii.com/blog/one-stop-shop-workout-swimming/

Water-Aerobics-Exercises-for-Weight-Loss

  1. Seated Stationary Bike: The seated or recumbent stationary bike is different than a normal upright exercise bike. It provides a backrest optimal for heavier or obese people who haven’t developed a strong enough abdominal core to hold them upright long enough. It also places less stress on your lower spine, which is a frequent problem for those who are heavy. Biking also engages different muscles than walking or running do. Alternating exercise days between biking and brisk walking will also give the body a dynamic bonus aerobic workout.

Stationary Bike

  1. Group Exercise Classes:  There are chances that you will get bored and demotivated if you are working out alone. The best way then to motivate yourself is by joining a group exercise class that has people who all have similar goals such as yours. Each of them then motivates the other to achieve the respective goals. Initially, it will be difficult to achieve your goal, but with the continuous motivation and effort, you will achieve your goal.

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Get up set your goal and start working towards it.

Look forward to the second part of my blog where I will take you through some more exercises.

Note: Please consult your Doctor before including the above exercises into your routine, as an individual’s body and medical conditions vary.  

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