House Cleaning as a Workout

House Cleaning as a Workout

You’ve probably noticed how sore you get after tending to your home, especially if you spent many hours scrubbing your place, moving heavy furniture, and going up and down the stairs. So, you may start wondering if cleaning sessions can actually replace a well-rounded gym workout? 

So, can we just skip the gym and exercise while doing housework? Or is it better to hire house cleaning services for your home in Lafayette, IN, and treat yourself to a proper full-body workout or yoga class? Let’s find out!

Does cleaning count as a workout?

Doing chores around your home can count as a workout, particularly if you walk, bend, crouch, or go up and down the stairs a lot. Let’s see how it works:

  1. You can burn quite a bit of calories while tending to your living space. The average person burns more than 150 calories an hour while vacuuming and around 170 calories an hour when mopping.
  2. Maintenance tasks such as mopping and scrubbing your floors or making your windows shine can engage different muscle groups, especially your core, legs, and arms.
  3. Wiping, scrubbing, and mopping vigorously can raise your heart rate a bit, providing moderate cardiovascular exercise.
  4. You can work on your balance and flexibility by reaching out for top shelves and high fixtures, bending down to lift items from the floor and moving around furniture.

Final note

Housekeeping includes certain physical activities indeed. But, unfortunately, it can’t replace a well-structured workout since it offers limited possibilities for toning your body. However, it can contribute to your mental health and provide some light cardio, so it definitely doesn’t hurt your well–being.

Can cleaning build muscle?

Cleaning includes some vigorous movement, like lifting, crouching, and bending, so it can help you build muscle to a certain degree. While not at the level of proper weight training, these activities can provide moderate muscle engagement and resistance training. Here’s how they can help:

  1. Wiping and scrubbing require some arm engagement. If you scrub surfaces around your home energetically, you’ll engage your arm muscles, shoulders, and core. 
  2. Carrying hefty boxes or loaded laundry baskets, moving furniture, and picking up big grocery bags target your upper body muscles and legs. These activities can help you strengthen your muscles, but you must be very careful not to overstrain yourself. Also, don’t put pressure on your spine when lifting something. If possible, crouch rather than bend.
  3. Mopping and vacuuming require repetitive movements that activate your arms, shoulders, back, and legs, resulting in a low-intensity workout.
  4. Chores that require a lot of stretching, bending, or reaching out can help you maintain your flexibility and activate the core.

Final note:

Even though housework engages muscles, they don’t provide the same progressive overload and resistance required for considerable muscle growth. A targeted strength-focused training program (like lifting weights, using resistance bands, squatting, or doing push-ups) is better for building muscle. Also, if inexperienced, professional help is essential to prevent injuries. 

Who offers efficient house cleaning services in Lafayette, IN?

Does cleaning count as a workout

Nothing can convince you home maintenance can be a decent workout and your untidy house drives you crazy, right? You are an elderly person looking for the best way to keep your living space tidy and would rather read about the history of cleaning than actually grab a mop? Don’t worry. C&C Cleaning provides top home maintenance services in Lafayette and the area.

We take pride in cooperating with highly qualified professionals who undergo thorough background checks and extensive training for your ultimate satisfaction. These specialists will tackle your home from top to bottom, ensuring the highest level of hygiene. Have a great day at Munger Park and let top experts take care of your living space. Book now!