At Octomaids, we’ve discovered an exciting way to combine fitness with household chores. Many people don’t realize that cleaning can be an effective workout, burning calories while tidying up your living space.
In this guide, we’ll explore the house cleaning calories per hour you can expect to burn during various tasks. We’ll also share tips on how to maximize your calorie burn while keeping your home spotless.
How Many Calories Do Common Cleaning Tasks Burn?
Cleaning your home isn’t just about maintaining a tidy living space; it’s also an excellent way to burn calories and stay active. Let’s break down the calorie-burning potential of common household chores.
Vacuuming and Sweeping: The Cardio Cleaners
Vacuuming for 30 minutes zaps 99 calories if you’re 120 pounds, 124 calories if you’re 150 pounds, and 166 calories if you’re 200 pounds. To maximize your calorie burn, try alternating between pushing the vacuum forward with your right arm and then your left. This engages more muscle groups and increases the intensity of your cleaning workout.
Mopping and Scrubbing: Lower Body Blasters
Mopping and scrubbing floors target your lower body muscles effectively. To amp up the calorie burn, try lunges as you mop or scrub. This not only cleans your floors but also gives your legs and glutes an extra workout.
Dusting and Wiping: Upper Body Toners
While dusting and wiping surfaces might seem like light work, they still contribute to your daily calorie burn. These activities engage your upper body and core muscles. To increase the intensity, try reaching high and low while dusting, and engage your core muscles to maintain balance.
Laundry: The Unexpected Workout
Don’t underestimate the physical activity involved in doing laundry. From sorting and loading to folding and putting away, laundry can be a full-body workout. To boost your calorie burn, try squats each time you load or unload the washing machine, and perform standing calf raises while folding clothes.
The key to maximizing calorie burn during cleaning is to maintain a brisk pace and engage multiple muscle groups. You can turn your housework into an effective workout routine with this fitness mindset. Now, let’s explore the factors that affect calorie burn during cleaning activities.
What Impacts Calorie Burn While Cleaning?
Body Weight and Composition
Your body weight and composition play a significant role in determining the number of calories you burn during cleaning activities. A person with a higher weight will typically burn more calories when performing the same task as someone lighter. According to Harvard Medical School, the calories burned during various activities can be estimated for people of different weights.
Intensity of Cleaning Activities
The intensity of your cleaning activities greatly affects calorie burn. Vigorous scrubbing, rapid movements, and tackling tougher tasks (like moving furniture) will naturally burn more calories than light dusting or leisurely tidying up. To increase the intensity of your cleaning workout, you can incorporate more challenging movements or increase your pace.
Duration of Cleaning Sessions
The length of your cleaning session directly correlates with the number of calories burned. A longer cleaning session will result in more calories burned overall. The Compendium of Physical Activities provides estimates for calories burned during various activities, including cleaning, based on different body weights.
Age and Fitness Level
Your age and overall fitness level also impact calorie burn during cleaning. Younger individuals and those with higher fitness levels tend to burn calories more efficiently. However, this doesn’t mean older or less fit individuals can’t benefit from cleaning as exercise. In fact, regular cleaning activities can help improve fitness levels over time (regardless of age or current fitness status).
Cleaning Techniques and Tools
The techniques you use and the tools you employ can also affect your calorie burn. For instance, using a manual carpet sweeper instead of an electric vacuum might increase your energy expenditure. Similarly, hand-washing dishes instead of using a dishwasher can boost your calorie burn.
Now that we understand the factors influencing calorie burn during cleaning, let’s explore some strategies to maximize your calorie burn while keeping your home spotless.
How to Supercharge Your Cleaning Workout
Pump Up the Intensity
You can boost calorie burn during cleaning by increasing the intensity of your movements. Put some muscle into it. Scrub vigorously, move quickly between tasks, and maintain a brisk pace throughout your cleaning session. Supervised exercise, with equivalent energy expenditure, results in clinically significant weight loss with no significant difference between men and women.
Engage Your Core
Focus on engaging your core muscles while cleaning. This improves your posture and increases the number of muscles working, leading to higher calorie burn. When you vacuum or mop, tighten your abdominal muscles as if you’re bracing for a punch. This simple technique transforms a basic chore into a mini ab workout.
Add Some Weight
You can increase calorie burn by incorporating weights into your cleaning routine. Wear wrist or ankle weights while dusting or mopping. You can also wear a weighted vest while performing various cleaning tasks. Weight gain usually occurs through metabolic derangement, wherein food intake is more than the energy expenditure from metabolic activities.
Mix in Some Moves
Combine cleaning tasks with bodyweight exercises for a full-blown workout. Do a set of lunges as you move from room to room with your cleaning supplies. Perform squats each time you bend to pick something up. Do calf raises while washing dishes or folding laundry. These simple additions turn your cleaning session into a comprehensive full-body workout.
Choose Manual Tools
Opt for manual cleaning tools instead of electric ones when possible. Use a broom instead of a vacuum cleaner, or a mop instead of a steam cleaner. This increases your physical effort and, consequently, your calorie burn. Hand-washing dishes (instead of using a dishwasher) and hanging laundry to dry (rather than using a dryer) also contribute to a more active cleaning routine.
Final Thoughts
House cleaning burns calories and improves fitness. The number of house cleaning calories per hour depends on factors like body weight, cleaning intensity, and session duration. Regular cleaning maintains a tidy living space and offers health benefits, especially for those who struggle to find time for traditional workouts.
We at Octomaids understand the importance of a clean and healthy living environment. Our professional cleaning services help you maintain a spotless home while you focus on other aspects of your life. For days when you tackle cleaning yourself, remember that you engage in beneficial physical activity.
The next time you pick up a mop or vacuum cleaner, think of it as exercise equipment. You’ll find that keeping your living space in top shape (while burning calories) becomes a rewarding experience. Embrace the dual benefits of a clean home and a fitter you.
