Cleaning as a Workout: Everything You Need to Know

Nobody finds housekeeping particularly rewarding, right? It includes many repetitive activities that are sometimes time-consuming and physically demanding. But since it involves a lot of movement and lifting items, can it be considered a kind of regular workout?

We have excellent news for you: it can. Professionals working for a Columbia, CT, based house and apartment cleaning company explain if scrubbing your home counts as an efficient workout and how many calories it can burn. Read on!

Does cleaning count as a workout?

Although cleaning isn’t as beneficial for your heart as a well-rounded workout, you can still consider it a light form of exercise.

Cleaning activities like dusting, mopping, sweeping,  vacuuming, and scrubbing consist of repetitive movements, lifting, stretching, and bending, which can raise your heart rate, activate various muscles, and enhance your flexibility. The duration and intensity of a cleaning session, as well as your body weight and physical condition, will determine your muscle engagement.

However, even though your health can benefit from performing cleaning tasks, this can never replace an aerobic, strength, and flexibility exercise routine. To stay fit and healthy, you should regularly engage in workouts targeting different areas of your body. Doing housework isn’t enough.

What household chores burn the most calories?

It’s true that completing house maintenance chores isn’t as intense as a vigorous workout, but it can help you burn some calories and stay active. How many calories you’ll burn depends on the cleaning activity’s duration, intensity, and your weight.

Below is a list of common household tasks and the amount of calories they can burn:

1. Vacuum cleaning usually involves maneuvering and pushing your vacuum cleaner around. This chore can burn approximately 220 calories an hour. It all depends on how much effort you invest and your weight.
2. While mopping you engage your legs and arms. This way, you may burn around 230 calories an hour.
3. If you sweep floors with a broom, you may burn 130-170 calories an hour.
4. If you decide to scrub floors kneeling, this will be a more intensive workout. You’re about to burn approximately 200-250 calories per hour.
5. If you clean windows yourself, you’ll burn 125-175 calories per hour.
6. Doing the laundry involves monotonous activities like sorting dirty clothes, loading and unloading your washing machine, and folding your clean clothes. These can help you burn 100-150 calories an hour.

Final thoughts

These are just rough estimates and can vary from person to person. If you want to shed more calories, you’ll need to intensify these activities. You can do this by exaggerating your movements or keeping yourself on the move going back and forth constantly. Also, you can include your kids, play energetic music and give it your all.

How many calories do 4 hours of cleaning burn?

How many calories you can burn while cleaning usually depends on the activity in question, your weight, and the effort you put in. Light cleaning chores may burn approximately 150-200 calories an hour. This means that by cleaning effectively for 4 hours, you’re likely to shed 600-800 calories.

However, note that these estimations are approximate and differ from person to person. The precise number of calories you’ll burn during one cleaning session depends on the intensity of your moves and your body condition.

Where in Columbia, CT, can I find a reliable house and apartment cleaning company?

If cleaning your home doesn’t sound like the best workout for you, or if you don’t know how to handle your electronics and make your windows streak-free, don’t hesitate to call professionals. Orchid Maids boast top experts in Columbia.

Enjoy a comprehensive workout at Mono Pond State Park Reserve, and let experienced maids dust, vacuum, and mop your home. They apply reliable maintenance methods that will match your lifestyle perfectly and provide a healthy environment for your family. Book now!