Cleaning Away the Calories

Did you know that 80% of New Year resolutions fail by February? One of the most common resolutions involves weight loss or fitness. If you miss a day or two at the gym, don’t let it throw you off track. Instead, burn those calories at home cleaning carpets and tackling other household chores! The average person spends around 15 hours a week keeping the house in order, and these daily chores often involve medium-intensity cardio and strength training. Using this list of household chores, you can turn your daily cleaning tasks into a workout. Please note that these figures are worked out for the average person and will vary.

Sweeping/Mopping

You can burn as many as 240 calories in one hour of mopping. Focusing on the really dirty spots can give you a great upper and lower body workout.

Moving Furniture and Carrying Boxes

Lift with your legs and tone towards the perfect squatter’s bottom! Moving furniture is also the first step in preparing your carpets for a deep clean. If you’re moving things up and down the stairs, you could be burning as much as 544 calories per hour. Remember, when lifting things in the home, make sure to use safe lifting techniques.

Vacuuming and Deep Cleaning Carpets

The weight of pushing the vacuum machine back and forth will work and tone your arms while burning 90 calories in just 15 minutes. With a large enough floor space, you can improve your daily number of steps, too. While vacuuming is a nice workout for you, it isn’t enough for your carpet – Rug Doctor recommends you give your carpet a deep clean at least once a year! Burn extra calories and refresh your carpet with a Rug Doctor Rental cleaning machine. Find your nearest rental location using our locator.

Washing Dishes and Dusting

Everyone’s least favorite chores can be your new favorite calorie burner! Burn up to 150 calories per hour doing light cleaning, including dusting around the house or doing the dishes.

Netflix and Chill

Okay, so it isn’t a chore… but studies estimate you can burn around 56 calories per hour just watching TV. It’s not going to make you the next Fittest Man on Earth, but it might make you feel a bit better as you get through your weekend Netflix binge. Want to get an actual workout while binging on your favorite series? Try doing squats, lunges, or burpees between episodes.

Keep It Up

As much as we want you to achieve carpets free of stains with deep cleaning, we want you to achieve your weight-loss and fitness goals! Whether working out at home or in the gym, making small achievable goals can help you stick to your New Year resolution. Also keep in mind that if you haven’t been working out in a while, you might want to get back into it at a lower level and work your way up. Don’t go into your new fitness regime planning on running marathons on day one, and don’t be discouraged if you can’t. Stay focused on your goals and being better than you were the day before. Good luck with your journey. Rug Doctor is cheering for you!

Disclaimer: You should consult your physician or other health care professional before starting any weight-loss or fitness program. These recommendations are not medical guidelines but are for educational and entertainment purposes only.