We usually think about calories burned while exercising and being deliberately active, but in reality, we're chipping off calories 'round the clock. If you're curious how many cals you shed doing everyday tasks and activities, the number burned while engaging in these 5 undertakings may surprise you.
Being active is something you can do all the time, not just when you're spinning on the elliptical machine at the gym or going for a round of golf with friends. It's time to factor in the calories burned all day long to see how everyday tasks play a part in our overall activity and well-being. It's time to get moving from sunrise 'till you hit the sack. And as you'll see below, you can even burn some calories while you're in the aforementioned sack!
Shoveling snow
A winter wonderland view as you sit inside by the toasty fire is delightful, but eventually someone's gotta shovel all that snow. Go on and do it, since you'll burn a whopping 200 calories per 30 minutes of shoveling, as per How Stuff Works. As you lift and dump all that snow, you won't stay cold for long and you can even consider your clean-up job the day's workout. No more hiring the neighbor's teen to do the dirty work, make it part of your wintertime workout regime!
Vacuuming
Chores can be a bore, but if you think of them as a way to stay active and fit, you get the benefits of a clean house plus a firmer figure. How Stuff Works tells us that 20 minutes of vacuuming will burn over 50 calories. Do a thorough once-over around the entire house and shed even more. Play some upbeat music and make household chores something to sing about.
Sleeping
Believe it or not, but we burn calories as we catch some well-deserved zzzzs. According to Livestrong, "If you weigh 160 pounds, you burn 69 calories per hour while sleeping, which adds up to 552 calories burned during eight hours of sleep. A 120-pound person burns 51 calories per hour sleeping, or 408 for eight hours." With all those calories being burned while you're dreaming, hitting the sack will be even more inviting. It's no wonder you're so hungry for breakfast!
Sex
No more "I have a headache" excuses. Even if you're not particularly in the mood for romance, you may want to reconsider for the fitness aspect of "getting it on." As per Very Personal Training, 10 minutes of sex burns about 40 calories. Heck, if you can last longer than 10 minutes, congrats to you and your partner, plus you'll burn even more cals as you heat things up in the bedroom.
Grocery Shopping
Shopping for food is always a culinary adventure, and if you spend one hour at the grocery store perusing the aisles, Health & Fitness Cheat Sheet says you will burn about 260 calories, based on a 155 lb. individual. As long as you don't load up your cart with cookies and ice cream, you'll keep those calories off when you get home and eat something healthful!