At the beginning of every spring, you promise yourself that you will start dieting from “next Monday”. You will also get a gym membership and go to the gym every day until you get comfortable wearing skinny jeans and boast about your beach body when you go on a vacation or visit a friend who has not seen you in years. Unfortunately “next Monday” never comes not only because of your unwillingness to sweat while doing the inevitable cardio exercises but also because you don’t have enough time for going to the gym on a regular basis. Passionate bodybuilders would immediately disagree and say that the lack of time is a lame excuse and if you have time to sit on the couch, eat chips and watch an hour and a half TV show, then you have time to go to the gym as well.

• Whatever your reason for skipping the gym is, you can at least perform some exercises while cleaning your home. Of course, there is a world difference between heavy lifting and washing the dishes, but you can still burn some calories provided that you opt for an intensive performance of the cleaning chores. Here are some fresh examples:
• If you want your body in shape, the squat rack is a must-visit area in the gym. Well, you might not have a specialised squat rack at home, but you can still make squats while performing your domestic cleaning. For example, when you have to tidy up a room and pick items off the floor, you can squat. The latter can be a pretty dangerous exercise if you have not warmed up well. In the worst-case scenario, you might end up with an injured back or a muscle – make sure you stretch beforehand. Booking domestic cleaning services is a way to find time for your fitness regime so consider that, too.
• You must have heard about those abs rollers that can be used at home. If you have tried using one, you should know that even if it looks easy at first, you feel like dying after making a few reps. Anyway, you don’t need to buy an abs roller in order to tone up your abs. You can achieve that through cleaning the floors. Instead of using a mop, you have to get down on your hands and knees and scrub the floor. Put a rag in your hands and slide them in front of you. Hold for a few seconds and pull your hands back. However, it is critically important not to allow your hips sag.
• When you do the ironing, place the laundry basket on the floor, so you will need to bend every time you have to pick a new piece of clothing to iron.
• Even if you used to hate carpet cleaning, now it can help you tone up your body. Before you hover the carpet, make sure you move all furniture away. When you are done vacuuming, move the items of furniture back in place. Once again, be careful not to hurt your back. Yet professional carpet cleaners can do the job for you and you can run to the nearest gym for a sweat session.
• If you live in a two-storey house, the stairs can help you do some aerobic workout. For instance, make a list of the house chores and organise your cleaning routine so you have to run up and down the stairs many times. Tidy up the living room on the first floor, then go upstairs and strip the bed in the bedroom, take the dirty bedding to the laundry room, go back upstairs and put new sheets on the bed, etc.
• Despite being frequently underestimated planking is a fantastic exercise you should not skip. All you need to do is to find a messy spot at home (if you cannot find one, consider yourself lucky) and get into plank position. That means your shoulders should be over your hands, your bum should be down and your core braced. In order to pick an item from the floor, you have to lift one hand, hold the item for a second or two and then throw it into an appropriate bin. Repeat with the other hand. The most difficult thing about this exercise is that beginners usually tilt when they lift one hand, but once you get used to it, you will find it easier to keep your balance.

These were some of the most effective exercises you can do while doing the house chores. Even if you are not a fan of sports activities, going hiking or cycling in the neighbourhood would have a positive effect not only on your appearance but also on your health in general. To sum up, house cleaning will not make you as thin as you want. Let’s be realistic. If house cleaning was so effective, all of us would be super models. Yet, it gets you closer to your target of toning up your body. Any physical activity is better than doing nothing and complaining about your figure. However, don’t forget that apart from exercising, you should also turn clean eating into your habit for life otherwise the results you achieve will be sporadic.