Saturday Shape Up-Cleaning for Calories

     

     I promised myself yesterday I was going to get my house cleaned. Now I do not have a Fit Bit or any other  wrist pedometer, and I can't see carrying my cell phone around all day. I'll just have to trust that many of the actions and movements that come with cleaning my house will also result in a a little calorie burning action as well. Just to try and  determine, I found this nifty article: Burn More Calories While Cleaning Your House. 

• Vacuuming-Depending on my weight, I can burn between 99 calories and 166 for every 30 minute I push that sucker around on my carpets. Reaching for that cob web, stretching behind and underneath a couch in stretch and lunge positions, who needs a membership to a health club.
• Sweeping and scrubbing the kitchen and entry floors- I couldn't specifically find this, but I'm going to assume this is on the same line as the vacuuming. I have a decent amount of floor space, and if I am really serious, I should get on my hands and knees and get those corners.
• Those overdue bathrooms? I can count 4 calories burned for each minute I spend wiping counters and walls, scrubbing grout and toilet bowls, and again sweeping and mopping the floors. The bathrooms are usually a good 30 minute job each-so 240 calories. Whoo hoo!
• Dusting the furniture will give me a return of 87 calories for every 30 minutes. I've got dusting area in the living room, dining room, entry, and family room.
• Changing multiple bed lines- There goes another 167 calories when I strip both my bed, the extra room bed, wash and then remake them. We also get to sleep in fresh sheets and that's a bonus win.

     I'm going to stop there. I figure this is a good solid three hours of steady housework. That should get me closer to enjoying my house, and if my math is right, I'd have burned upwards of 900 calories. That's a nice way to think about the housework that I hate. It's likely much higher estimate than I'll actually burn, so I'm not going to be eating Snicker bars and ice cream for lunch, but it is motivation to build more movement whenever I can every day-and not let 
the dust bunnies build up.

I feel like I've been a bit salty in posts and comments. I'm feeling the January crabbiness and am hearing and reading passive agressive banter, whether there or not. I need a good work out to knock the mental cobwebs along with those in my house. Here's one final thought that ties a clean house to a clear mind.