Turning household chores into a weight loss routine may seem novel, but it’s effective and practical. Not only do you get to complete the regular tasks that keep your home looking great, but you also burn calories and keep fit. This guide will show you how to approach your outdoor chores with a fitness mindset, transforming traditional tasks into a fun exercise routine. Let’s delve into the world of ‘Exercise in Disguise’ and start losing weight while we take care of our outdoor chores.
Work Without Reward
How often have we been sweating at the gym or spending hours on a treadmill, only to feel stuck in a monotonous cycle with little to show?
Exercise often feels like a chore, especially when the results don’t match the effort. We put our bodies through the pain of lifting weights or running on treadmills, but it’s just energy spent on nothing. Wouldn’t it be so much better if your exercise accomplished something else in your life besides losing weight? That’s where doing chores as exercise can help!
Doing outdoor chores, such as gardening or landscaping, can be a great way to get fit without exercising. The physical activity involved in these tasks is just enough to get your heart rate going and work out your muscles, but it also has the bonus of helping you complete something practical around your house or garden. Whether it’s mowing the lawn, digging in the garden, or trimming the trees, these tasks can give you a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction while also helping to burn calories.
Enjoy Nature While Exercising
When we’re stuck indoors exercising at the gym or running on a treadmill, it can be hard to find motivation. That’s why outdoor exercises such as doing outside chores are so beneficial. We can surround ourselves with the beauty of nature and use it as motivation to keep going!
Tips & Tricks For Outdoor Fitness
- Try to keep a steady pace throughout the task.
- Take regular breaks in between bouts of activity.
- Alternate between quick bursts of activity and slower movements.
- Wear proper clothing and safety gear to protect yourself during the chore.
- Set a realistic goal for what you want to accomplish with your outdoor fitness routine.
- Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself—you may surprise yourself with how much you can do!
- Have fun and enjoy the process of getting fit outdoors.
Outdoor Chores That Burn Calories
To help you start your fitness journey with outdoor chores, let’s explore some tasks that can give you a good workout. In the following sections, we will introduce various outdoor chores. Under each chore, we will discuss how to do these tasks effectively for fitness and how many calories you can expect to burn.
General Gardening
Gardening is about more than just planting and caring for your plants. You can also get a good workout from this task, requiring you to move around, bend down, carry things, and use strength. You can burn about 300 calories per hour doing general gardening tasks.
Doing general gardening, such as digging weeds, can help burn calories and keep you fit. Keep a steady pace and stay active to make sure you get the most out of your gardening time.
Shrub or Tree Trimming
Tree trimming is an outdoor chore that can be fun and beneficial for your fitness. It involves carrying, lifting, reaching, and other outstanding motions for building muscles. The task can also help to burn calories as it requires a bit of strength while moving larger branches. You can burn a few hundred calories per hour trimming shrubs and even more for larger trees and branches.
To get the most out of tree trimming, climb up and down the tree as often as possible. This can be a great way to work the muscles in your legs and increase your heart rate simultaneously. Additionally, it would help if you also tried to carry larger branches instead of a few smaller ones, which will help you burn more calories.
DIY Landscaping Projects
DIY landscaping projects are a great way to burn calories while beautifying your outdoor space. Whether building a stone pathway or creating a garden bed, you can expect to get a good workout. Enough of a movement to lose 600 calories per hour!
Doing these types of tasks is beneficial for your body because it requires physical activity, such as lifting and carrying heavy objects. Not only will it help to build your muscles, but it will also help you get your heart rate up.
Mowing the Lawn
Mowing the lawn can be a great way to get fit while caring for your outdoor space. It requires physical activity such as carrying and moving around and helps build up muscles and burn calories, especially if you’re using a push mower.
To ensure you’re getting the most out of mowing the lawn, keep a steady pace throughout. If you’re using a push mower, use your whole body while pushing it instead of just relying on your arms. You can burn about 300 calories per hour mowing grass.
Shoveling Snow
Shoveling snow is an outdoor chore that can be beneficial and challenging, although only needed at certain times of the year. On the one hand, it helps to build muscle and increase your heart rate, while on the other, it can be difficult due to the cold weather! Depending on your weight and pace, this chore can burn upwards of 600 calories an hour.
Clean Gutters and Downspouts
Cleaning gutters and downspouts is an outdoor task that requires a bit of strength and balance. It can help to build up your muscles, burn calories, and increase your heart rate if done correctly. To ensure you get the best workout out of this task, keep a steady pace by moving around frequently.
Painting the Exterior of Your Home
Painting the exterior of your home is a great way to get fit while also improving the look of your outdoor space. This task requires physical activity such as lifting and carrying, which can help to build up your muscles and burn calories. You can burn as much as 300 calories per hour, but more if you frequently climb ladders during the chore.
Sweeping Patio or Walkways
Sweeping patios or walkways is a task that requires physical activity such as bending down and stretching. This outdoor chore can help burn calories and build up your muscles. To get the most out of this task, keep a steady pace throughout by taking regular breaks between bouts of activity.
Washing a Car
Washing a car is an outdoor chore that can help to burn calories and build up your muscles. It requires physical activity such as bending down, stretching, and carrying. To make sure you get the most out of it, alternate between quick bursts of activity and slower movements to stay energized.
Tending to Pets or Animals
Caring for pets or animals is an excellent way to stay in shape! It involves physical activities like carrying, lifting, and bending, which can strengthen your muscles and burn calories. To ensure an effective workout, maintain a steady pace during the task and take regular breaks between bursts of activity. Cleaning horse stables, chicken pens, or dog kennels are a formidable job and can undoubtedly burn some calories.
Chopping Wood
Chopping wood is an outdoor chore that can be physically and mentally demanding. It requires physical activities such as lifting, pushing, and swinging a heavier object which can help to build up your muscles and burn calories. To get the most out of this task, keep a steady pace by taking regular breaks between bouts of activity. You can burn over 700 calories per hour doing this chore.
Rake Your Yard
Raking your yard is a great way to get fit while caring for your outdoor space. This task requires physical activities such as bending and stretching, which can help to build muscles and burn calories. To make sure you get the most out of this activity, keep a steady pace and take regular breaks between bouts of exercise.
Washing Exterior Windows
Washing exterior windows is a great way to get fit while improving your outdoor space. It requires physical activity such as reaching, bending down, and stretching, which can help to strengthen your muscles and burn calories.
Conclusion
Outdoor fitness can be a great way to get in shape and stay healthy. It requires physical activity such as lifting, carrying, and stretching, which can help to build up your muscles and burn calories. There are many outdoor tasks that you can do to stay fit, from tree trimming to mowing the lawn. With so many options available, you can easily find an outdoor activity that works well for you and fits your lifestyle. So don’t be afraid to get out there and start getting fit!
I really love to do yard work such as mowing the grass and gardening but never thought about it being a kind of exercise? Maybe I need to make it a routine lol