Walking and Household Chores: A Simple Guide to Staying Active and Healthy

Walking and doing household chores are great ways to stay active and burn calories. While brisk walking typically burns more calories, tasks like mopping and gardening also provide significant health benefits. Together, these activities can help you maintain a well-rounded, active lifestyle.

Some believe household chores require as much effort as walking, leading to the question: Can chores replace walking for exercise?

Walking and Calorie Burning
Walking is one of the simplest and most effective exercises, burning 100–200 calories per hour. The exact amount depends on your speed, weight, and walking time. Walking also improves heart health, strengthens muscles, reduces stress, and is suitable for all fitness levels. Walking outside adds benefits like fresh air, sunlight, and vitamin D.

To burn more calories, try walking faster, adding short bursts of brisk walking, carrying light weights, or walking uphill.

Household Chores and Calorie Burning
Tasks like vacuuming, mopping, and gardening count as light to moderate exercise, burning a good number of calories depending on their intensity. For example:

• Vacuuming: 175 calories/hour for a 70 kg person.
• Mopping: 200 calories/hour.
• Gardening: 250–300 calories/hour.
• Washing dishes: About 90 calories/hour.

More vigorous chores, like scrubbing floors or moving furniture, burn even more calories. An hour of activities like sweeping, mopping, or vacuuming can burn 250–300 calories, similar to a brisk walk.

Which is Better: Walking or Chores?
Walking at a steady pace often burns more calories than lighter tasks like dishwashing. However, intense chores like gardening or scrubbing can match or surpass walking in calorie burn.

Walking is generally easier to sustain for longer periods due to its steady rhythm. On the other hand, household chores involve varied movements that engage more muscle groups, such as arms, shoulders, core, and legs.

Spending time outdoors while walking can improve mental health by reducing anxiety and boosting mood. Meanwhile, doing chores offers the satisfaction of completing tasks that enhance your living space.

Health Benefits of Staying Active
A 2023 study published in The Lancet found that even short bursts of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (1–5 minutes) significantly reduced the risk of death and major cardiovascular events.

How to Combine Walking and Chores

• Start your day with a brisk 30-minute walk to boost your heart rate and metabolism.
• Follow it with 30 minutes of household chores to engage different muscles and stay active.

By mixing walking with household tasks, you can enjoy a healthier, more active lifestyle!