So, we’re into week 4 of lockdown and it’s safe to say we’re all doing our fair share of washing, ironing, mopping, sweeping, tidying, dusting etc etc. One friend even took it upon herself to mow the lawn. The good news is that not only does doing household chores help curb anxiety, it also burns loads of kilojoules! Housework and working out can sit happily in the same sentence.
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Household chores and hitting the gym – two things which tend to drop to the bottom of our to do lists, especially when life throws up everything from a last-minute work deadline to wedding planning that sucks you into a WhatsApp group vortex. But what if we told you that household chores could actually replace the gym? According to research by UK cleaning product manufacturer StarBrands, giving your bathroom a thorough going-over could burn as many kilojoules as a 20 minute spin class – now that’s what we call multi-tasking!
Spending an additional 30 minutes on chores each day could help you lose kilos over the course of a month. Who said losing weight had to be hard?
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Read on to find out how many kilojoules these everyday household chores burn…
How many kJ do I burn doing gardening?
A spot of light gardening will help you burn an impressive 728kJ an hour – that’s more than you need to treat yourself to a Cadbury Flake, which comes in at 698kJ. And 30 minutes of dancing will help you burn almost as much at 630kJ.
We can’t think of a better excuse to get digging up those weeds or to repot plants that have outgrown their current space.
How many kJ do I burn doing DIY?
Carrying out a simple home repair could see you burn an impressive 853kJ an hour, which means you’re already on your way to treating yourself to a warm scone which comes in at 940kJ. And 20 minutes of skipping would burn around 836kJ.
There are plenty of how to guides focusing on DIY on YouTube so it’s time to roll up your sleeves and dig out the toolbox that’s been gathering dust in your garden shed.
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How many kJ do I burn making the bed?
Doing this basic household chore burns 292kJ an hour, the equivalent of 1 digestive biscuit, or 20 minutes of Pilates.
How many kJ do I burn doing laundry?
You can burn 619kJ per hour whilst washing and folding laundry, which means you can reward yourself with 1 medium glass of wine – or skip a 40 minute weights session.
How many kJ do I burn ironing?
An hour of ironing burns 656kJ, the equivalent of 1 bag of chips, or 30 minutes of water aerobics.
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How many kJ do I burn sweeping?
The simple household chore of sweeping burns off 673kJ per hour, or 2 Ferrero Rochers. You’d have to cycle for 30 minutes to burn the same number.
How many kJ do I burn dusting?
An hour spent dusting burns 694kJ. Treat yourself to 2 chocolate digestives, which would otherwise cost you 20 minutes of aerobics.
How many kJ do I burn vacuuming?
Vacuuming burns 732kJ an hour, equivalent to a medium caffe latte, or 20 minutes spent jogging.
How many kJ do I burn cleaning windows?
An hour of window cleaning burns 966kJ. You’d need to do 25 minutes of circuit training to burn the same amount, equivalent to a custard-filled doughnut…
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How many kJ do I burn scrubbing the bathroom?
One of the household chores we do almost every day. Scrubbing the bathroom burns a whopping 1 071kJ per hour, and will earn you nearly 2 scoops of Woolworths Tin Roof ice cream… Or you could spend 20 minutes spinning, instead.
How many kJ do I burn washing the car?
An hour spent washing the car burns 1 313kJ, the equivalent of 1 brownie, or 45 minutes of swimming.
How many kJ do I burn mopping floors?
Mopping floors burns just as many kilojoules as washing the car (1 313 an hour), which means you can treat yourself to a guilt-free caffe mocha with whipped cream – and skip your 45 minute boxing class.
