12/04/2025
Household chores are physical activity, & can be exercise, if done with enough intensity.
It's helpful to distinguish between "exercise" and "physical activity" to understand how household chores fit in. Here's a breakdown:
■Physical Activity vs. Exercise:
●Physical Activity:
♡This encompasses any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that results in energy expenditure.
♡ It includes a wide range of activities, from everyday tasks like walking and gardening to structured workouts.
♡ Household chores fall under this category.
● Exercise:
♡ This is a subset of physical activity.
♡ It's planned, structured, and repetitive, with the goal of improving or maintaining physical fitness.
♡ Examples include running, biking swimming, and weightlifting.
■Household Chores as Exercise:
● Yes, household chores can contribute to your daily physical activity and, in some cases, provide moderate-intensity exercise.
● Activities like:
♡ Gardening: Involves lifting, digging, and bending, which work various muscle groups.
♡ Vacuuming and mopping: Can elevate your heart rate and engage your core and arm muscles.
♡ Cleaning the bathroom: Scrubbing and wiping require physical exertion.
♡ Car washing: includes movements that use many muscle groups.
● The intensity of these chores determines how much they contribute to your fitness.
● By increasing the intensity or duration of household chores, you can turn them into a more effective workout. For example, by keeping your core engaged while vacuuming, or doing lunges while you vacuum.
■What do the guidelines say?
● Health guidelines emphasize the importance of regular physical activity for overall health.
● These guidelines generally recommend:
♡ At least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity per week.
♡ Muscle-strengthening activities at least two days per week.
■ It is important to understand that any movement is better than no movement. So even if household chores do not equal going to the gym, they still contribute to a healthier lifestyle.
