Workout with household chores

Suddenly everyday feels like a Sunday, but you don’t want to be dealing with the nightmare called obesity at the end of quarantine life.

Household chores are the new gym equipment. Katrina Kaif and Shilpa Shetty have traded weights for the broom, Kartik Aryan is doing the dishes and Hina Khan is mopping the floor.

Keeping the house clean is no easy task, so how much of a workout is this and how do we not forget gym life? Fitness experts Dinaz Vervatwala and Delhi based Sumaya Dalmia tell us how to embrace our inner Kanta bai and get a work out from it.

“Do your household chores without complaining. You won’t feel lethargic and at the end of the day the body will be active,” says Dinaz.

Household chores means, “Being at it for 45 minutes doing your bed, dusting and sweeping, swopping around the house. And when you are swopping do it the old fashioned way by squatting down,” advises Sumaya. This will burn around 200-300 calories.

Don’t complain about doing chores because they will keep you agile. “We lead sedentary lives and as we grow older, we are less agile, not so-well balanced. So, by doing the dishes and other chores at home you get your joints working right and remain agile,” points out Sumaya.

Another basic thing that we don’t get to do is walking. Take this opportunity to get your steps in at home.

“Run around the house or jog from the bedroom to the kitchen or sitting area to another part. If not running just make sure you are moving from one room to the other and not sitting still,” advises Dinaz.

A bare minimum of 5000 steps a day are a must according to her. For Sumaya, it’s between 7000-10,000 thousand.

But if you are missing a rigorous gym workout and want to do something more strenuous, play with your kids. Their activities count as proper workouts, reveals Sumaya.

“When you are playing catch with them, it’s sprinting and stopping. Doing the hoola hoop is another great exercise,” according to Sumaya. So follow their lead and let them train you.