Poll
Do Some Household Chores Count As Workouts?
- Snow Shoveling (via ktylerconk)
Close to 120,000 people went to the emergency room in '07 for snow-shoveling-related injuries. For shoveling safety, doctors advise warming up, taking breaks, and not getting old (or at least not shoveling if you are old), because shoveling snow, it turns out, is actually a really hard workout. Lots of household chores fall under the "moderate activity" category, and you can get silly and start calculating the calories you burn while vacuuming (10 minutes = 40 calories), or you can go over the top and do lunges while drying dishes like cLean Momma. But neither seems like a particularly sane course of action. Still, some double counting of household tasks for workouts seems in order. What, if any chores, would you consider counting?
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Comments
I think this depends on how you view your workouts, not your chores. So if I tote 40+ pounds of laundry several blocks to a laundromat I might count that as a workout--albeit not the greatest one. However, I'm also nerdy enough to do bicep curls with my groceries on the train.
But things like doing the dishes or vacuuming? Not so much.
Submitted by Mr. Mohawk on 02.09.10 at 12:08.
It matters how in shape you are to start out. If you are just starting out some things like this (not dishes) might really get your heart rate up - ergo workout - but after you are in better shape they won't. I'm guessing *most* people on here are fit enough that these are not super challenging. Also - how long are you doing it for? 10 minutes of snow shoveling - not a workout. 45 minutes of snow shoveling - for sure workout.
Submitted by Butwhatifido on 02.09.10 at 12:23.
i don't count chores as a workout but i do feel better about myself if i keep moving throughout the day, even if i'm not sweating. i frequently remind myself that sitting will kill you. even my husband says it now.
Submitted by syrupandhoney on 02.09.10 at 12:40.
I think the only time I counted a chore as a workout was when I helped a buddy move a piano across town...
Submitted by Matty_G_Fresh on 02.09.10 at 02:48.
I don't count chores as a workout, but I do make sure I have my pedometer on while I'm cooking, doing laundry, shopping, etc and I do log it in myfitnesspal to get more calories for chocolate and gummy bears if I have spend more than a half hour doing it.
Submitted by whatodds on 02.10.10 at 03:16.