David Reagan, Atlanta-Based Personal Trainer, Shares 4 Easy Ways to Burn Calories Close to Home

When it comes to fitness, people make promises to themselves all the time. They promise to eat better. They promise to go to the gym regularly. It’s easy to make such promises, but it’s not always easy to keep them. And sometimes, life simply keeps you from getting to the gym as often as you’d like. Sometimes, circumstances dictate that you stay home more. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get your heart rate up regularly. Here, David Reagan, a certified personal trainer from Atlanta, shares four easy ways to burn calories around the house.

Walk the Dog

If you’re eager to get out of the house when the weather is nice, your canine friend is probably raring to go, too. A brisk walk around the neighborhood or a trip to a nearby beach or park is a good way for both of you to get moving.

An hour of walking at a brisk pace (3 miles per hour) can burn up to 300 calories, depending on your weight. The American Heart Association recommends adults get in 150 minutes per week of this sort of cardiovascular exercise, and touts walking as a preventative measure against heart disease and high blood pressure.

Of course, if you don’t have a dog, you can still walk on your own. Your body might thank you for it, even if a pet doesn’t.

Play with your kids

Do you ever wonder why the children you see playing outside appear fit? It’s because they’re so active when outdoors. An hour of playing with your kids can burn even more calories than an hour of walking, depending on the activity.

Games such as tag or soccer require some running, and an hour of vigorous activity will burn more calories than an hour of lower-intensity exercises, such as walking. Playing basketball in the driveway or volleyball in the backyard could involve lots of jumping and lateral movement, other ways to get your heart pumping and work various muscle groups of your body.

Clean your House

Setting aside a day for a whole-house cleaning can burn a boatload of calories. Higher-intensity activities such as scrubbing, mopping, or cleaning windows are especially beneficial.

According to a 2017 study by the Good Housekeeping Institute, the average person burns about 600 calories doing just two hours of intense household chores, about 40 percent more than they would if they ran for three miles.

If you get creative, you can make household tasks more challenging. For example, folding the laundry piece by piece and putting it away individually as you go will get a lot of steps in. Vacuuming or dusting the house at a faster pace than usual will push your heart rate, too.

Beautify your Yard

There’s plenty of work to be done on the outside of your home, too, and yard work is a great calorie-burner.

An hour of brisk walking can burn about 300 calories. If you’re cutting your grass, however, using a push mower or not engaging the self-propelled feature of a power mower will add resistance and burn more calories than just walking.

Raking leaves, pruning shrubs and trees, and pulling weeds all burn calories. If you have a fireplace or fire pit and want to get active, try splitting firewood for an hour or so. That’s an intense workout.

There are times when you feel more homebound, and plenty of people at some point or another feel guilt over not getting to the gym as often as they’d like. But you don’t have to be in a gym to get exercise and burn calories. There are always plenty of workouts to be had in or near your home.

About David Reagan

David Reagan is a NASM Certified personal trainer from Atlanta, GA, who specializes in weight loss, personalized workout plans, bodybuilding, and nutrition. He caters to high-end clients and executives, helping them achieve their fitness goals by accommodating their busy schedules. The client’s needs come first, and David’s fitness plan will set you up on the path to success.