When talking about workouts, the first thing that comes to mind is a fancy gym crammed with exercise bikes, rowing machines, treadmills and weights. But did you know that just doing ordinary household chores can help us get enough exercise to burn off excess calories before they turn into fat? Normally, we try to get house work done in the shortest possible time and with minimum effort, but if you want your workout to be thorough, then you should put in a bit of extra vigour into it.

Of course, this does not mean that one has to clean the entire house from floor to ceiling in order to get a good workout — just a few of the daily chores should be enough to make you work up a sweat and rev up the metabolism. Do not dread your chores; instead, think of it as a free gym membership, the bonus being a sparkling floor, organised bookshelves or a tidy garden.

One hour of vacuuming or mopping the floor helps burn 195 calories

The constant pushing and pulling motion of the vacuum, plus the pushing and moving of furniture gives your arms and legs a great workout.

During vacuuming add a tempo to your movements by putting on high-energy music. Make sure to bend properly when shifting or lifting heavy things, in order to protect your back from strain. When mopping a floor, hold a scrubbing brush in both hands and push it back and forth while kneeling — try to bend forward with your upper body instead of just using your arms, this will work your upper legs and tummy muscles.

An hour of cooking helps burn 120 calories

Instead of going for simple things out of a packet, why not make it yourself? Kneading dough, peeling and chopping vegetables, whipping cream, beating eggs and rolling out pastry will deliver far more of a workout to your shoulders, upper back and arms than just microwaving a frozen dinner. If you are really set on burning calories, do volunteer to do the dishes after a meal. Washing the dishes by hand instead of using a dishwasher will burn about 150 calories in half hour.

Half an hour of dusting helps lose about 175 calories

Giving your furniture a great rubdown is another great way to lose inches from your waistline, as it involves plenty of squats, bending and lifting. Rearranging your furniture while dusting not only gives a fresher look to your house but also increases your caloric burn-up by 288 calories or more. Keep moving, dash around the house, and reach up high. Get up on a small ladder or step stool to clean the ceiling fans. Sweep the corners of your ceilings for those little cobwebs in the corners — it will give your muscles a good stretch.

Thirty minutes of ironing helps burn 115 calories

Though ironing can seem to be a low intensity activity, half hour of work behind the ironing board will benefit your shoulders and arm muscles. Keep the laundry basket on the floor when you’re ironing, rather than on a raised surface like a table. That way you will constantly have to bend and stretch to reach the clothes.

An hour of gardening burns about 300 calories

Working outside won’t just give you a fresh air fix; it is also a great workout for upper as well as the lower body. The more strenuous types of yard work, such as trimming and planting will expend more energy and provide a higher level workout. Watering by hand that involves walking and carrying the hose, is similar to exercising with light weights and can burn about 120 more calories. For maximum benefit, use hand tools, such as an old fashioned push mower instead of a power mower, a rake instead of a leaf blower. Lugging packs of soil and potted plants, as well as raking, hoeing and weeding are also good calorie burners that help get our body into shape.

Last, but not at least, once you’re done with the chores, join your children in their games at the playground. This will not only keep you active, but also help build closer bonds with your family. Let exercise become an integral part of your daily routine — think of it as a challenge — and once you start to feel its benefits, you will wonder how you ever did without it!