The typical daily routine of adults has led many to a sedentary lifestyle. Before we know it, our waistlines have expanded due to sitting all day and barely sweating. The pandemic didn’t help as well. You might think working from home will finally give you the time to commit to a fitness routine, but alas, you just became busier than ever.
But that doesn’t make your fitness goals unattainable forever. An active lifestyle, after all, isn’t only measured by the workout regimens or outdoor adventures you engage in. You can also be active by staying at home, and regularly moving your body — without working out.
That said, here are the household activities that will use up your muscles and help you trim off that extra waistline:
1. Self-care Routine
Brushing your teeth, putting on makeup, and doing your nightly skincare routine can be turned into low-key workouts. Becky Hempel, head trainer at DavidBarton Gym, suggests standing on one leg while doing them. You may also do some squats if your stamina permits it. That way, your glutes would get a daily boost for at least two minutes.
2. Going Up and Down the Stairs
If you live in a multi-story home, use your stairs as exercise equipment. Go up and down on it for five minutes each day, and you’ll burn a decent number of calories. Try not to take any snacks or drinks up to your bedroom, so that you’ll have no excuse not to work out your legs.
3. Meal Prep
As you prepare your meal in the kitchen, use your island or counters as a barre. Press your palms against it with your body inclined forward, as you would to a push-up or a high-plank position. Then do some body-weight exercises to train your strength. Just thirty seconds of it daily can tone your arms and core.
4. Dish-washing
Wash the dishes by hand instead of using your dishwasher. The motions of your arms will train your muscles in there and burn a few calories.
5. Deep Cleaning the House
If you haven’t deep cleaned your home for a while now, use that as an opportunity to sweat off your holiday dinner. Don’t just sweep the floor and dust the surfaces. Instead, gear up with your vacuum cleaner, mop, scrubs, and cleaning agents.
Vacuuming and mopping are opportunities to do some lunges. As you push the vacuum or mop forward, step into a full lunge, then bring your legs back together as you push the tool backward. Make sure to engage your core to receive all the amazing benefits of lunges.
If you’re scrubbing the ceiling or anything over your head, stand on your toes to exercise your calf muscles. That would sculpt your lower leg, tighten your core, and tone your glutes.
As you bend down to clean the low spaces and hard-to-reach corners, get on all-fours to exercise buttocks, abs, and entire lower body. You can also do a bird-dog stretch for an extra challenge.
Check inside your kitchen cabinets, underneath toilets and sinks, and other closed-off humid spaces, too. That would further exercise all your limbs and burn additional calories. But don’t try to clean thick layers of mold, or you may damage your health. Just call a trustworthy mold removal professional, and let them do their magic while you focus on the rest of your home.
These activities may not be as intense as a workout routine, but they train all your muscle groups and shed off excess calories and fat just as effectively. But aside from doing all those, don’t forget to consume lots of water and healthy food. Your impromptu workouts will produce more drastic results when you pair them with a healthy diet.
