15 Easy Ways to Transform Your Chores Into Effective Workouts
As the parent of two kids under the age of four, I’m intimately familiar with how difficult it can be to find the time to squeeze in a workout each day. Thankfully, there are some simple ways to sneak in exercise, without changing your daily routine. We detail how to turn your household chores into effective workouts as well as how to increase the intensity of these regular tasks!
Work Your Abs While Paying the Bills

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If you have ever taken a barre class, you’re very familiar with isometric exercises. Tightening specific muscle groups, like your abs or glutes, is a great way to increase strength, burn calories, and build muscle without much movement, making it the perfect exercise for when you are stuck in one spot.
When paying bills in a seated position, engage your core by exhaling and then pulling your belly button inward. Hold this for thirty second intervals while maintaining normal breathing and prioritizing your posture. Repeat 10 times. As this exercise, called abdominal hollowing, becomes easier, increase your reps and the length of your hold intervals.
If you want to elevate this workout, do your billing while standing up. During the periods when your core is engaged, rotate the upper half of your body, while keeping your hips and legs stationary. This can further work your abs while you work on your finances!
Lunge When Vacuuming and Mopping Your Home

Vacuuming and mopping are weekly tasks that can strain your back, but when you slow down the chore and lunge each time you push the mop or vacuum, you will not only limit your pain later, but you’ll also work out your glutes and hamstrings!
Just remember to keep your knees parallel with your ankles when performing this exercise. And to make things a bit more challenging, invest in some ankle weights to increase your strength and improve your stability.
Skip the Car Wash and Wash Your Car

Washing your car is a full body workout! You will squat, lunge, stretch, and even perform calf raises without even realizing it. The key to turning this household chore into an effective workout is to rotate between your dominant and non-dominant arms.
Park at the Back of the Lot When Shopping

If you don’t have the time to in a cardio workout at the gym, another easy way to get in some cardio and burn some calories is to park at the back of the lot and sprint to the store! Brisk walking can also suffice if you’re worried about onlookers.
If you want to elevate this workout, do lunges while pushing the cart through the store and do calf raises while waiting in line at the check out.
Move While Washing Dishes

Speaking of calf raises, squats, and abdominal hollowing, why not make the most of the most mundane household chore? While you are stuck at the sink, get toned by engaging in these stationary exercises!
Nix the Blower and Rake the Leaves

It has been decades since I raked leaves, but while visiting family over the holidays, my son wanted nothing more than to jump in leaf piles. It turns out that raking the yard is another full body workout. The physical act of collecting the leaves works out your abs and arms and bagging them is a spectacular opportunity to squeeze in some squats.
Use Your Step Ladder to Reach High Spaces

The step ladder hanging in your garage can be a great tool for sculpting and toning your lower body, especially when doing the dishes. It doesn’t matter if you need the step to reach the shelf or not, the simple act of climbing up and down the steps as you move back and forth from the dishwasher will work out your glutes, hamstrings, and quads.
Tidy Up With Squats

No matter if you are cleaning up your kids toys, the laundry that’s piled up on the floor, or putting away your latest grocery haul, make the moment count by squatting instead of bending over. This is another simple way to sneak in a workout and avoid tweaking your back.
Make Your Kids Bedtime Routine Count

Every night, parents engage in bedtime routines with their kids. Would you believe that this is another fantastic time to sneak in a workout? When the kids are brushing their teeth, do calf raises and squats. Then, while reading their bedtime story, take some time to stretch your legs and back.
While this may seem like a multitasking challenge, it’s actually the perfect workout for the parents whose kids haven’t reached reading age. Simply glance at the page before engaging in the stretch. Then, tell the tale from memory or make up your own while holding the book out with the arm engaged in the stretch.
Engage Your Core When Running Errands

Just like while doing your bills and washing the dishes, abdominal hollowing is a fantastic activity to sneak in while waiting in line at the bank or pharmacy, walking the dog, driving to school pickup, or even shopping for clothes.
Use a Stability Ball for Homework Times

Did you know that you can improve your posture, core strength, and balance, all from just sitting on a ball? When you’re stuck at the table helping your kids with their math, spelling, and science homework, swap out your chair of choice for a stability ball and work your body and your mind at the same time.
Feng Shui Your Home

Moving your stuff from one side of the room to the other seems easy enough, but after you start, you’ll quickly remember why you paid the movers to help you get settled in your house! By taking the time to feng shui your home, you will not only clear out the clutter and make your living spaces more balanced, but you’ll also get in quite the workout!
Skip the Stroller & Use a Wagon With Kids

Physics has taught us that pulling is always harder than pushing! For the parents looking for an arm workout that burns major calories, let me tell you, a wagon is where it’s at! No matter if you are walking the dog or running errands at the store, a wagon filled with children will make your arms ache later!
Best of all, those little weights are growing each day, which means that you’ll automatically increase your intensity each week and month of the year. When using a wagon, just remember to switch off your arms every few minutes to make sure that you work both sides of your body equally.
Dust Those Hidden Areas of Your Home

Baseboards, walls, and shower doors are the areas that typically get neglected the most, and let’s be honest, it’s not because of forgetfulness. We tend to intentionally skip these spots because they’re a pain in the butt to clean, literally. By taking the time to regularly scrub these areas, you’ll not only limit the time required for the next cleaning, but you’ll also work out your abs, arms, and legs at the same time!
Avoid Chemicals and Weed Your Yard By Hand

After buying a home, I quickly realized why my mother was always so tired after pulling the weeds every spring. It is hard work! Your shoulders, back, and upper legs all get a workout during this type of gardening activity. When on your hands and knees, make sure to engage your core to get in an easy ab workout.
Related: More Workouts to Squeeze in at Any Time
Get Creative & Find Easy Ways to Burn Calories

For the moms and dads with limited time who are looking for simple ways to burn calories, these are just a few household chores that you can transform into workouts! You can also do lunges while mowing the yard, squeeze in some squats while power washing the house, or take the laundry up the stairs instead of having your kids do it. Just think about the top home tasks that you engage in every day and get creative with ways to sneak in a workout while doing them.