How Many Calories Do You Burn with Household Chores?

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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.