The number of calories you burn while housecleaning will depend on your current weight, how long you work, how hard you work and what activities you do. A 150-lb. person performing basic housework for 60 minutes will burn approximately 198 calories, according to HealthStatus.com.
Types
The type of activity you're doing makes a difference. If a 100-lb. person spends 15 minutes mopping, he will burn 77 calories. Washing dishes for 15 minutes would burn 38 calories. Scrubbing the floors would burn 65 calories.
Function
A calorie is a unit of energy. One calorie is the amount of energy, or heat, that it takes to raise the temperature of 1 g of water 1 degree Celsius, or 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit. In dietary measurements, "calorie" actually refers to 1,000 calories, or the energy to heat 1 kg of water by 1 degree C.
Benefits
Getting any kind of physical activity is important, not just exercise at a gym. Short bursts of housecleaning throughout the day can be just as effective as exercising for 30 minutes straight. The American Heart Association recommends that you do moderately intense cardio for a total of 30 minutes a day, five days a week or vigorously intense cardio 20 minutes a day, 3 days a week.
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