Losing weight and staying fit the old fashion way maybe the way to go!
Have you ever wondered why women 40 years ago were considerably thinner than most women today? Why is obesity so high in this country and getting worse? Why are women younger and younger developing heart disease and it’s becoming more common as time goes by? It’s not only becoming common in this country but very much a norm. It’s now normal for a 35 year old woman or man for that matter to be taking daily prescribed medication for high blood pressure. These questions go unanswered because there are so many different factors that may fall under this great concern.
Things such as smoking and alcohol, stress, and the environment fall under this debate. Yes, but is lack of exercise another measure of it? Yes! A big one!
Times have changed and more women are becoming career oriented as opposed to the women 40 years ago who were stay at home mothers. They stayed home every day and succeeded to get all the housework done with no help from a maid that comes in twice a week or the savvy devices we now have available to help us work smarter not harder. She managed to get all the cooking, cleaning, laundry done before getting the kids from school and the women looked great! Did they have a secret back then that we need to be aware of today???
Ladies, it’s not a secret at all. Forty years ago, we didn’t have the conveniences and the technology we have available to us today. Everything was done by hand and women stayed slimmer, healthier and much more energized. Could that be the secret?? Having a dishwasher today will keep me thinner??? No, maybe having a dishwasher was indeed a gift for us women but other things like washing your floors, or maybe doing the windows or even a simple thing like washing a tub, but don’t use those harsh chemicals to clean that tub, put in the work yourself and burn those calories!
I believe that was the secret women used back in the past to keep their figures looking girlish! Ladies, put in more time into your housework and burn more fat and calories. It’s not that one chore you do that will show a difference, it’s the combination of all of them that will show at the end of the week.
Here are some helpful suggestions:
Yard Work
Yard work offers some of the most labor intensive household chores. Tasks like digging and raking the leaves not only burn a lot of calories but can help tone muscles in your arms and legs. Here are some statistics:
30 minutes of digging in your yard will burn about 315 calories, the same amount burned by 45 minutes of bicycling on flat terrain. Digging tones the muscles of your calves, thighs, arms and shoulders. If you do it vigorously enough and continue the activity for 20 minutes or more, you can raise your heart rate and strengthen your cardiovascular system.
Washing your car works your arms and abdominals. For every 30 minutes of car washing, you’ll burn 143 calories.
Weeding for 30 minutes burns 115 calories, the same amount you’d burn in 15 minutes of weight training. Weeding tones your thighs and buttocks. Just be careful to bend with your legs while keeping your spine straight or you could hurt your back.
Raking leaves for 30 minutes burns 225 calories. The resistance offered by the leaves makes this chore a type of weight training. Raking leaves tones all the major muscle groups in your body.
Indoor Chores
Chores you do inside the house also help to burn calories. Here’s how many calories are burned in the course of performing your daily tasks:
Scrubbing your bathroom for 30 minutes burns 200 calories, not bad! Removing that stubborn soap scum from your tiles is a great way to tone the muscles of your arms and shoulders.
Carrying shopping bags for 30 minutes burns 190 calories and maybe more if the bags are particularly heavy. Distribute the weight evenly on each hand, or swap back and forth at regular intervals. Carrying too much weight on one side won’t just overdevelop those muscles; it could injure your spine.
Making beds for 30 minutes burns 130 calories, the same number you’d use if you jogged on a treadmill or on flat terrain for 15 minutes.
Cleaning windows for 30 minutes burns 125 calories, the same number used in 20 minutes of power yoga (about one-third the length of a typical power yoga class).
Loading the dishwasher for 30 minutes burns 105 calories, which is less than the 160 calories burned when washing them by hand?
Vacuuming for 30 minutes burns about 90 calories, the same amount you’d burn in 15 minutes of kick boxing.
Dusting for 30 minutes burns about 50 calories.
Ironing for 30 minutes burns about 70 calories and tones the muscles of the upper body. Stand up straight at the ironing board and press down firmly. Switch hands periodically so you don’t overdevelop one arm.
Other Calorie Burners
Here are some other activities that burn surprising amounts of calories:
Climbing stairs for 30 minutes burns about 285 calories so take the stairs when you can.
Painting and decorating your home burns about 160 calories. Go ahead, re-arrange some furniture for a fresh look.
Some of you are looking over the list to see if you’ve missed it, no you haven’t. The unfortunate news is sex doesn’t appear on that list for a good reason. It seems sex doesn’t burn as many calories as we originally thought. Although most will agree that sex is fun, using it as a workout to substitute for the time you spend in a gym is not a good idea.
Combining these chores into your weekly routine will avoid a trip to the gym twice a week and more time to spend with your family doing the things you love. Fitness should play a huge role in your life; do what you can to do your part. This is a great routine to follow for stay at home mom’s with newborns that have a difficult time leaving their homes or simply don’t have time to get to the gym.
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