How Many Calories Do You Burn with Household Chores?

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How Many Calories Do You Burn with Household Chores?

Those necessary chores around the house do count as exercise! Here's how many calories you burn doing common cleaning jobs.

By Sarah D'Angelo

Does Housework Count as a Workout?

The answer: Yes! There's a reason they call it housework. You can burn serious calories during a marathon cleaning session. Here are a few jobs that work major muscle groups, and how many calories you're burning by completing each task. And because we think a sound mind should go with a strong body, we've included a few easy ways you can make that cardio-cleaning more eco-friendly.

Activity	Works	Burns	Make It Green
Mopping floors	Shoulders, biceps	112 calories/ 30 minutes	Try Method’s new OMop All Floor Starter Kit, which includes a mop, a washable cleaning pad and a nontoxic floor cleaner. $30; methodhome.com.
Painting	Arms, core	288 calories/ 60 minutes	Several brands now offer zero-VOC (volatile organic compound) paints, which are better for the planet. For a wide range of colors, go to yolocolorhouse.com.
Gardening	Arms, back legs	256 calories/ 60 minutes	Reuse waste, garden organically, and reduce water consumption with the products available at naturemill.com, terracycle.net and cyber-rain.com.
Cleaning gutters	Shoulders, upper back, arms, legs	320 calories/ 60 minutes	Bag the leaves in BioBag’s 100 percent biodegradable and compostable 33 Gallon Lawn & Leaf Bags, made from corn. $5.19; biobagusa.com.

Find out how to make more of your household chores green with eco-expert Josh Dorfman's 14 easy ways to help save the planet >>

Originally published in FITNESS magazine, April 2008.