Calorie-Torching Daily Duties

Gardening is relaxing, rewarding, and a great way to stay active during the day. Doing an hour of yard work can burn 150 to 270 calories per hour, depending on the type of work.

Make it work for you: Why pile in a wheelbarrow what you can carry yourself? Instead of adopting our usual time- and effort-saving tricks, use the opportunity to squeeze more exercise into your chores. Make multiple trips to drop off produce to the house, or to compost clippings. You could also consider switching to a push mower for an environmentally friendly swap that your body will thank you for too.

Activity: Commuting

A big part of most people’s day is their commute. Why not leave the car at home and also make it a part of your daily exercise? Simple acts like walking to and from the bus stop can add up to a big difference over the week. Start with just a couple of days a week and see how you do—you might find that not driving is actually a relief. For those who have to drive, try parking farther away each day.

Make it work for you: Stand up instead of sitting on trains or buses, and jump off a stop or two early to make the most of your walking time. Biking is another quick and healthy option to burn even more calories.

Activity: Walking the dog

Okay, this one is kind of a no-brainer. But instead off plodding around with your pooch or standing still while your dog chases a ball, take the opportunity to join them! See if you can beat your dog to fetch the ball, or jog with them en route to the park. Your dog will have more fun on their walk, and so will you. For older, slow dogs that can’t keep up with a jog, try doing walking lunges to give your dog time to sniff around and take their time.

Make it work for you: Turn your walk into a full-blown workout! Stay tuned for some more great tips on this coming up in our August issue.

Activity: Housework

Housework is the worst. But, turn it into a calorie-torching opportunity and maybe you won’t dread the vacuuming so much. An hour of housework can burn around 170 calories. So bust out the mop bucket, roll up your sleeves, and get to it.

Make it work for you: Putting your back into it will work up a sweat and leave surfaces gleaming. Skip shortcuts and go the old-fashioned route of hand scrubbing tiles (using the chance to squat up and down), wringing out mops (extra focus on triceps), and maximizing trips up and down stairs (hello, cardio).