Attention Moms!

 

    

  I think most of us can agree that moms these days don’t get enough credit. I’m not a mom yet myself, and I am already trying to conceive ways of fitting in my workouts while chasing after a buncha mini-me’s. I can only imagine how difficult it must be to stay fit and eat healthy when the life of a little one is in your hands 24/7. So here is some relief. House cleaning burns tons of calories!! LIGHT cleaning burns about 240 cals/hr (depending on your weight and gender of course), AND depending on how wild your kid is, you can burn even more (lucky you!). I often visit Webmd.com when I am searching for a lot of my fitness facts. They actually have one of the best house-cleaning lists I’ve seen around ! Here is some of what they suggest, moms: 

• *Put on some fast music — rock and roll, salsa, whatever you like. This helps you pick up speed, Findley says. A bathroom should only take 20 minutes to clean, she says. So get moving!
• *Whenever you’re doing chores, tighten your abs. This prevents you from slouching.
• *Stretch extra-high to knock down those cobwebs or prune that limb. You should feel it along your side.
• *Strive for large up-and-down movements. When cleaning a shower door, for example, make big circles. “I am a trainer and I feel like my arm is about to fall off!” exclaims Mandel.
• *Carry heavy baskets of laundry or supplies up from the basement, if your conditioning allows.
• *Climb on a stepladder every chance you get. “What’s the difference between this and a step class?” Mandel asks.
• *Scrub floors on your hands and knees. And get on your hands and knees to pull out all that dust and clutter hiding under the bed.
• *Do lunges while vacuuming (keep toes pointed straight ahead, and don’t bend your knees further than 90 degrees). You’ll feel it in your thighs.
• *When putting away dishes, face forward and twist to reach the cabinets.
• *In the garden, lunge toward weeds. “Some of them have roots 5 feet long,” Mandel says. “Those’ll give you a workout!”
• *Pruning requires forearm strength (and helps develop it). It also requires reaching on your toes — like a calf raise, Mandel says. So volunteer for this chore, and don’t be afraid of thicker or higher branches.
• *Pouring mulch or fertilizer from a heavy bag requires a squat. Remember to use your legs, not your back.
• *Wielding a weed-eater is like fencing, almost. Pull in those abs and pay attention to your form.
• *If you have area rugs, beat them using a clean broom rather than vacuuming. This means more steps to get outside and more exercise for your arm muscles.

One thing you gotta remember is this: no one ever said getting fit was easy. Simply doing chores isn’t going to enable someone to lose 5 lbs a week. But every little bit helps, and it certainly can’t hurt to get a little wild and crazy around the house–even if your kids do laugh at ya.

 

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