Productive ways to sneak exercise into your day

Here's some great ways to get active while being productive at the same time. Exercise doesn't have to be limited to the gym or with equipment...see below:

Top tips to go for the housework burn

• Use a wax polish in a tin rather than a spray – you’ll need to rub much harder to get a nice shine on your furniture.
• Don’t leave things to pile up at the bottom of the stairs– take individual items upstairs as soon as you need to.
• Plan your housework so you constantly have to run up and down the stairs. For example, empty the dishwasher in the kitchen, then make the bed upstairs, then vacuum the living room downstairs, then clean the bathroom upstairs – and so on.
• Keep the laundry basket on the floor when you’re ironing (rather than on a raised surface like a table). That way you’ll constantly have to bend and stretch to reach the clothes.
• Get more creative in the kitchen – peeling, chopping, stirring, whisking and beating all burn more calories than simply heating up a ready meal in a microwave oven. And if you really want to work up a sweat, have a go at making your own bread – kneading the dough is hard work!
• Stick on your favourite music and turn up the volume –it will help you polish and sweep that bit harder.

Activity	Calories burnt in 1 hour*
Walking at a moderate pace	287
Vacuuming	193.7
Dusting	173.6
Painting, Inside Projects	66
Gardening, Weeding	287.8
Mopping Floors	193.7
Car Washing	234
Cleaning Windows	180.3
Ironing	113.1
Wallpapering	133.2
Chopping Wood	415.5
Walking up & down stairs, moderate	516.3