Most people want to stay fit and healthy. And in order to achieve the desirable body and weight, healthy eating and regular exercise must be included in the routine. Sounds easy, doesn’t it? But the truth is that, it takes a lot of motivation to start a new lifestyle – a healthier lifestyle that is – when you have been used to eating with no restrictions and without even trying to burn those calories.
If you tend to procrastinate exercising (always making excuses), then don’t expect a Victoria Secret body or a macho physique. That won’t happen if you just sit around, munching on your favorite snacks. But if you do many things every day, then be happy since you’re actually exercising. It’s called non-exercise activity thermogenesis, and it helps in managing your weight.
To give you a heads up, here are 10 activities that unknowingly make you exercise. These are free, and you won’t even have to spend for a gym membership.
Bathing and feeding the kids
As a parent, you might have given the responsibility of washing your little ones to someone else so that you can go to a gym or have a few rounds of jogging. However, what you don’t know is that an hour spent in bathing, grooming, and feeding your kids will burn an average of 237 calories. The time spent with your kids is definitely rewarding emotionally and physically.
2. Shopping at the grocery
When you go grocery shopping or just buy anything at the store, you’re getting enough exercise through walking. And we all know that walking can burn, at least, 200 calories an hour. It’s even a better workout if you walk from your home to the store (assuming that the establishment isn’t that far) or use the stairs instead of escalators and elevators.
3. Walking the dog
Walking for 60 minutes makes you lose up to 480 calories. What harm does it cause when your dog gets some fresh air while both of you are burning calories together? Improve this indirect exercise by parking a little far from your place of destination or by simply walking at a slower pace
4. Mowing the lawn
Be thankful for the tall grasses in your yard since you can make use of your mower for exercise. According to WebMD, mowing the lawn lets you burn around 250-350 calories in a single hour. Isn’t that amazing? This simple task at home definitely improves not our property but also our health. If you want to burn more calories using this machine, you can mow your neighbor’s lawn for free.
5. Washing the car
Washing your car is more than just splashing water to the vehicle. It gives you a workout by stretching the legs to reach for top surfaces of the car, doing a few squats to clean the tires, and flexing your arms to wipe the window glasses. The first 30 minutes of shining your wheels burn down 135 calories, and you know you’ll spend more than half an hour to get the job done.
6. Preparing and cooking
Do you love to prepare dinner for your family? If you do, you’re not only making them healthy, but you’re also doing yourself a favor. Doing chores on the kitchen trims, at least, 150 calories per hour. This includes chopping the vegetable ingredients, cooking the dish, and washing the cooking utensils. If possible, don’t use any electric equipment. Do things using your hands to work out those muscles in your arms.
7. Dancing
If you have the habit of dancing even without music, then you should know that you’re keeping yourself fit. A 30-minute dance burns 235 calories, while an hour of dancing burns up to 430 calories. Dancing is a fun activity, and it is one of the best ways to manage your weight.
8. Commuting to work
For once, ditch your car and ride public transportations going to your work. It can be a bit hassle to go with the crowd, but hey! Commuting is a great exercise for your body. It makes you sweat, causing some of your calories to burn.
9. Tending your garden
Body fitness researchers have established that basic garden tending activities like watering the plants, weeding, and pruning cut about 335 calories. Activities such as hauling, transplantation, and clippings burn more of your calories out.
10. Cleaning the house
The simple task of cleaning the floors, utensils, and window pens torches away a minimum of 333 calories in a single hour.
Conclusion
Although regular forms of exercise and other types of strength training sessions are conventional options to have a healthy lifestyle, the activities you do every day are big steps to keep your body fit. And two major advantages of doing these daily movements are that they are free of charge, and you can do them anytime you want.
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