9 Household Activities That Burn Serious Calories ...

1. Scrub the Tub

This is a daily chore in my house, because the Better Half and I both enjoy ridiculously long, hot baths that involve lots of Lush. Fortunately, it's also one of the best household activities to lose weight! It doesn't take long to do, of course, unless you're going full-throttle and taking care of the shower stall or the curtains, as well as any tile. The point is, in half an hour of scrubbing the tub, you'll burn 200 calories!

2. Clean the Floors

There are three kinds of flooring in our house: beautiful hardwood, retro black and white tile, and carpet. We also have too many pets to name off, so we spend a lot of time cleaning the floors in various ways. If this is an almost daily chore for you too, never fear! Vacuum your floors and burn 180 calories per hour. Pull out your mop and that goes up to 240 calories per hour!

3. Get Gourmet

You're probably thinking cooking adds calories, right? Nah, you only take in calories if you're a really good cook! The act of cooking itself burns calories – 150 an hour, to be precise. If you add in things like kneading your own dough, making your own bread or pasta, and chopping fresh fruits and vegetables, making dinner actually helps you get fit!

4. Make the Beds

I hate making beds. I don't know why, but I think it has something to do with the fact that my mom, consummate nurse that she is, always made our beds with hospital corners, and I still valiantly try to mimic her. Hopefully knowing that making the beds burns 130 calories per half hour will help me try a little harder.

5. Bathing the Babies

Bathing someone or something else burns a heck of a lot of calories. This works for parents who bathe their little ones and pet owners who bathe their fur babies. By doing so, you get rid of 240 calories every hour. If you have a particularly squirmy little darling who really hates baths, you might get an even better work out.

6. Definitely do Windows

Although cleaning the windows is difficult, it's not all that bad when you use the right tools. Besides, with a few swipes, you can burn 125 calories in 30 minutes. Naturally, this is true for mirrors as well. Isn't that worth a weekly washing?

7. Taking out the Trash

Taking out the trash is a necessity but it also keeps you active. In general, you'll burn about 105 calories per hour when you gather up your garbage. Now, I know what you're thinking: it does not take an hour to do this. True enough, but if you're emptying all the cans in your home and gathering up all the detritus that hasn't made it into the trash cans yet, you're getting a little more activity from this chore.

8. Washing Dishes

Washing dishes is another daily activity, so you've got the opportunity to burn at least 125 calories per half hour every day – and that's if you load the dishwasher. Manually washing (hi, I am a manual washer) burns even more calories, which puts a more positive bent on this rather lackluster activity. Think about it the next time you're up to your elbows in soap suds!

9. Take It outside

Lastly, some household chores do take place inside. Although you probably won't be mowing or gardening much in the winter, doing so burns 325 calories per hour and 250 calories per hour, respectively. Since it's winter, however, I'm sure a lot of you will spend a fair amount of time shoveling snow. The good news is that for every hour you shovel, you're burning an incredible 415 calories!

You don't have to beat yourself up when you can't get to the gym or don't have time to go running. Never let anyone tell you that keeping up the house isn't hard work. Spreading your cleaning throughout the week makes tidying the house easier and ensures that you're active every day. Every time you scrub the bathroom or work in your garden, feel good about yourself, feel accomplished, and feel motivated! What's your favorite way to burn calories at home?