Get in shape with DIY

22 March 2017 by
First published: 3 April 2017

Did you know that if you haven’t got time for the gym, you can get in shape with DIY?

If you can’t find the time to go to the gym, you can’t afford a gym membership or personal training sessions and you hate the thought of running then there is still another way for you to exercise. A study by Plentific shows how many calories you can burn just by doing simple DIY at home.

Research conducted on adults weighing 150lbs found that with simple chores you can burn up to 1,200 calories, meaning you could be getting in your weekly workouts from home. What’s even better is that while you can easily skip the gym, you can’t really skip cleaning for too long. Take a look at these daily chores that could help torch calories.

Mowing the lawn

Calories burnt: 376

Spring is fast approaching, so it’s time to start thinking about making your garden presentable. Start by cutting the grass. If that seems like a drag to you, you might be shocked to to hear that an hour of mowing the lawn burns off almost 400 calories. How’s that for extra motivation? Research has also found that gardening burns almost 700 calories in only two hours. So, get pruning or weeding and you will have worked off over three Mr Kipling Cherry Bakewells!

Cleaning

Calories burnt: 171

Get your sweat on and plan a head-to-toe spring clean. With just 60 minutes of light cleaning, such as dusting or hanging clothes, you will rack up a total of 171 calories burnt. Increase this calorie burn by doing more vigorous things, such as hoovering or washing the car. Now you can tick off cleaning and your workout from the to-do list in one go.

Moving furniture

Calories burnt: 408

If you’re relocating and dreading all the hard work that comes with it, this statistic might give you another reason to do it yourself. An hour of moving furniture burns an average of 408 calories, that is similar to playing 50 minutes of tennis. Winning! Why not give the house a rejiggle? Moving household objects and boxes can burn around 478 calories in a hour, definitely earning you a treat.

Sweeping

Calories burnt: 269

Simple and effective. Sweeping can burn 135 calories in just 30 minutes, equivalent to a can of Coke. Brush away those autumn leaves and make way for your hot summer body – Cinderella-style.

Painting

Calories burnt: 1,200

Can’t decide if the bedroom needs a revamp? Well after reading this you might say yes. On average, painting walls burns over 1,200 calories in four hours, that is the same as two Big Macs or over five Mars bars. Plus, you’ll burn even more after you’ve moved furniture around. Pass the paintbrush please.