Weight loss: Common household chores and how many calories they burn

What happens in your house when the doorbell rings? You either wait for someone in the family to open it or just tell your house help to check, right? Now, tell us what do you do when your kid jumps on your recliners, runs from one end to another or drives his scooter inside your neat apartment? In all likelihood, you call him naughty and ask him to ‘sit in one place quietly’. Can you see a pattern here? We all want to move less and somewhere pass on that thought process to our kids as well. At the Times Literature Festival - Delhi recently, celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar blamed our inactivity to be main reason behind our weight and other health issues.
We Indians are guilty of being over dependent on housemaids. From washing, cleaning, dusting, cooking and doing the basic household chores, we all look out for our maids; comfort has become the way of our life. Here are some household chores that you should be doing on your own, instead of expecting others to do it for you.

Mopping

The real technique of mopping is a tiresome one. It requires you to squat and crawl while mopping the floor. It works out your legs and is also very good for arm workout. Mopping alone can help you burn a good amount of calories. Just 20 minutes of mopping can burn 150 calories.

Laundry

Every cycle of laundry that you run in your fully automatic washing machine is actually a missed chance of weight loss. But if you get around to doing it yourselves, you will be burning up to 130 calories in an hour - provided you squat and move yourself enough.

Doing your dishes

It is a bliss that we Indians don’t yet have dishwashers commonly available in our households, but then we have our maids to the rescue. Well, if you do your own dishes, you will be able to burn up to 125 calories in an hour.

Cook your food

There are innumerable reasons why you should be cooking your own food. You will obviously cook it in a healthy and hygienic manner; with the best being you will stand most of the time while cooking it. Also, try to put aside your machines and do all the chopping yourself. If you do everything yourself, cooking can help you burn 100 calories.

Dusting

Instead of getting after your maid to do all the cleaning and dusting, pick up your dusting cloth and cleaners and do it all yourself. Before you know it, you will be active most part of your morning. The activity can help you burn up to 125 calories.

Kneading the dough

This one simple activity that most of us often delegate to our house help is an exercise in itself. Kneading dough requires you to bend and work your arms. It can help you burn up to 50 calories.

We all blame our sedentary lifestyle for our poor health and excess weight. Make this big change this December to enter 2019 a healthy way…