Burn 100 Calories by Doing Housework for Just 20 Minutes

A lot of people often say they don’t have time to exercise, but this is just an excuse. We all have 1,440 minutes in a day, so finding just 10 minutes for a quick workout shouldn’t be hard. Those 10 minutes can be spent doing something to get your heart rate up with intense movements.

If you’re a stay-at-home parent, you already have daily chores that can double as exercise. These tasks often require a lot of movement, so doing them can help you stay active. Through completing housework, you can easily turn those initial 10 minutes of exercise into 20 minutes of physical activity.

While long workouts are often recommended, short sessions of just 10 minutes can also be quite effective if done with enough intensity. The impact of a workout is more about how intensely you perform it rather than how long it lasts.

It’s crucial to warm up before getting started. Consider setting up a short routine that splits your 10-minute exercise segment into smaller parts. These quick exercises are ideal for parents and can be done at home or outside. Regular household tasks like mopping, doing dishes, washing clothes, or cooking can burn up to 100 calories, making the excuse of not having time less valid.

To make the most out of your day, you can combine exercise with chores. For example, skip the elevator and take the stairs at work—20 minutes of this can burn 100 calories. You can also play some upbeat music and dance for fun exercise at home; 20 minutes of dancing or 10 minutes of Zumba will burn calories too.

Yoga’s an age-old practice that keeps you fit, increasing strength and flexibility while helping you shed calories. Gardening, particularly tasks like weeding, can burn 100 calories in about 15 minutes if done with vigor.

Even painting or decorating at home counts as physical activity. Depending on your effort, 15 to 30 minutes of painting can shed around 100 calories. Playing with your kids—running, jumping, and laughing—keeps you active and burns calories as well.

Regular chores like washing the windows or car can also be calorie burners. Spending 20 minutes on window washing or 15 minutes on car washing uses up about 100 calories.

The key is to stay committed to being active. You don’t need special time set aside for exercise if you incorporate physical activity into your daily tasks. This approach can effectively counter the mindset of not having enough time to exercise.