Cleaning for Exercise
I love snow days! It’s definitely one of those things that you never seem to out-grow! At work, I was giddy with excitement when they announced that the school was closing early! 
Lunch at home was an “everything but the…” salad with arugula, spinach, tomatoes, carrots, red onions, mushrooms, pumpkin seeds, and prunes, drizzled with balsamic vinegar. I love dried fruit in salads! It adds an interesting sweetness to the mix of veggies.
After finishing my salad, I had a few Backyard BBQ chips. Mmmmm! Each and every chip has so much BBQ flavor!
Mal wanted me to note on the blog that these are the “best chips in the whole wide world!!!”
I followed-up lunch with a warm Christmas Morning Muffin with melted Smart Balance smeared on top.
The rest of my snow day involves making gingerbread cookies, cleaning our apartment mixed with some light exercise, and drinking wine with my husband. Yay for snow days! What are your plans for Friday afternoon/evening?
Cleaning for Exercise
From Divine Caroline…
How many calories do you burn while cleaning? Here’s a breakdown of approximately how many calories you would burn per cleaning activity per hour:
Sweeping: 240
Packing/Unpacking: 220
Scrubbing floors on hands and knees: 325
Cleaning, light (dusting, wiping down counters, picking up clothes): 100
Cleaning, general (washing dishes, doing laundry): 200
Cleaning house, heavy effort (vacuuming, hanging laundry, repetitive bending over): 260
Child care: 205
Shoveling snow: 415
Raking lawn: 235
Mowing lawn: 325
Moving large household item: 400
Cooking: 150
Grocery shopping: 90
Not too shabby, right? My cleaning actually incorporates sets of free weights as well as lower body and core work on my Bosu. I’m listening to holiday music while I clean, so each time the song changes, I stop cleaning to do 2 different exercises: one with 10 lb. dumbbells for my upper body (biceps curls, shoulder raises, push-ups, etc.) and oneon my Bosu for my lower body or core (crunches, squats, lunges, etc.), and then I go back to cleaning for the rest of the song. I’m not sure how long it will take me to clean the whole apartment, but I’m sure that I will get a good workout in this afternoon! 
Posted by: Tina 24 comments
Posted in: Uncategorized
on Dec 19th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
You do realize you’re killing us with keeping your secret, right? :p
on Dec 19th, 2008 at 2:23 pm
Oh, and I love the cleaning w/exercise! I usually want to shower after scrubbing my house, so why not get even sweatier?
on Dec 19th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
Tina – WOOO HOOOO for snow day!! Lunch looks fun. I love prunes too!
on Dec 19th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
Fun idea for cleaning! Way to multi-task!
on Dec 19th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
Yay for snow days! I got one today too, although I feel bad for my friend’s who had their exams pushed back to tomorrow!
I love that cleaning burns a decent amount of calories, it makes it feel even more satisfying!
on Dec 19th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
Great salad! I love dried fruits in mine, as well
Thanks for the workout routine you incorporate into cleaning! Great idea, and double-productive for sure. Have fun on your snow day!
on Dec 19th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
Yess! My office if closing 3 hours early because of snow! Love it! Now I wil head on over to the mall for my blackberry, and some clothes? Haha they always just seem to sneak into my shopping bag
on Dec 19th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
Who hoo Ive got a snow day too!!! I posted a video and pics of the storm on my blog!
Those chips look fabulous!
Angela
http://www.ohsheglows.com
on Dec 19th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
I have a snow day too!! I almost always count major cleaning as exercise!
on Dec 19th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
After all the treats I’ve eaten this week at the office, I think I’ll clean the house top to bottom a few times!! Thanks for the info!
on Dec 19th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
Those are some great stats on calorie-burning cleaning! Way to get in extra, too!
LOVE fruit/dried fruit in my salads!!
on Dec 19th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
Hooray for coming home early, “everything but the…” meals, and for muffins!!
**My plans = Keep fully enjoying my first day of winter break!!
on Dec 19th, 2008 at 3:41 pm
Ooh thanks for the calorie burning info! That’s great to know.
Have a great wknd Tina.
Have you tried the blue cheese Kettle chips? At least, I think they’re blue cheese – maybe they’re hot wings flavor or something. In any case – totally addictive, just in case you’re looking for a new food to be obsessed with.
on Dec 19th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
good info! I need to clean this weekend. Going to have to try and find those BBQ chips. I need to go christmas shopping tonight, but I may be going to a holiday happy hour instead!
on Dec 19th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
I love the idea of incorporating weights into the cleaning.
on Dec 19th, 2008 at 4:47 pm
Great idea to mix in a workout with housecleaning…..something I should have done today with OUR snow day!!
KO
on Dec 19th, 2008 at 4:52 pm
What about teaching? How many calories do you think are burned doing that? I am so happy today is Friday this week has been the longest week of my life. I am so happy to be off for two weeks.
Love the idea about working out and cleaning. I am going to have to try it sometime.
on Dec 19th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
Mmm. I love dried fruit in salads too. Sweet and savory..delish!
on Dec 19th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
Happy Friday
I love salads with “the works”!
on Dec 19th, 2008 at 6:11 pm
That’s a great idea to work out while cleaning! That should make it even more fun than usual.
on Dec 19th, 2008 at 6:16 pm
I love that idea! It’s funny, I just plopped down from cleaning/packing for the last couple hours. I’m pooped! Maybe I should eat another Christmas cookie…
on Dec 19th, 2008 at 6:38 pm
i shoveled for an hour, i wish i had my heart rate monitor the snow at the end of my driveway was SO heavy, and i was sweating up a storm
on Dec 20th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
ok I love all the multi-tasking you rock! I am about to get down and dirty and maybe I can gets some calories burned while cleaning:) OOOO and theose chips are amazing!
on Dec 21st, 2008 at 7:33 am
Oh man, when i saw the shoveling one I laughed, I’m about to head out and shovel up some snow!!