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Next time you think of going to the gym, consider tackling that home improvement project you've been putting off instead. You could burn almost as many calories as you would on the treadmill -- and fix up your home, to boot.
For the past couple of months, I've been patching walls, sanding floors, painting, caulking, restoring old windows, not to mention disassembling, moving and reassembling various pieces of furniture. In the chaos, I haven't been able to get to my scale for a month -- or even find it!
When I finally dug it out from where it was buried under mounds of clothing (did I mention the closet renovation?), I had a pleasant surprise:
I'd lost the 5 pounds I'd been trying to drop for the past year. Remembering the sweat I worked up swabbing polyurethane over the bedroom floor, I did a little research into calories burned for various DIY activities.
The amount of calories you can burn doing the following home improvements is comparable to what you burn after an hour of Pilates (238), on a stationary bike (476), or playing soccer (more than 500 calories per hour). Plus, you're beautifying your home in the process!
DIY Activities and Calories Burned Per Hour
SAWING HARDWOOD (by hand): 510
CARRYING LUMBER: 340
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CLEANING GUTTERS: 340
LAYING SOD:
340
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CAULKING WINDOWS AND DOORS: 306
SANDING FLOORS: 306
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LAYING TILE: 306
PLANTING TREES: 306
HANGING DRYWALL: 204
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INTERIOR PAINTING: 204
GENERAL CARPENTRY: 204
HANGING WALLPAPER: 204
EXTERIOR PAINTING: 340
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FINISHING OR REFINISHING FURNITURE: 306
THINKING ABOUT YOUR TO-DO LIST:
68
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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)
I am in the hardware business and this I know to be true. I see the differences in the people who do work around the house and the people who don't . Also there's another aspect to doing it youself. PICTURE THIS ! When you have had a long week at work and traffic hassles to and from work and noisy kids and a questioning spouse ( hopefully NOT ), THIS IS WHAT YOU CAN ALSO DO . Just ask anybody in the house if they would like to help do some good old fashion yardwork , any type , and man I'll tell you evevery body will SCATTER , SCRAM , VAPORIZE , EVAPORATE , MAYBE EVEN TAKE AN OUT OF STATE TRIP. DOOOOOOOOON'T WORRY! When they all tend to want to give excuses for not working with you around the house or yard , THIS..... gives you a perfect opportunity to get some ME TIME , clear your mind , think clearly , come up with ways to generate word peace, save the planet , and you are also cleaning your own yard to your own liking , being able to see how the picture unfolds , getting a good tan , building muscle, and getting a jump on your neighbors yard . All you need is a few good tools , sun screen , and a gallon of water , unsweetened tea , or lemomonade . When alls said and done you would have accomplished a much nicer piece of property , very valuable time to yourself and a sense of mental relief . I GUARANTEE IT !
ReplyProbably lose weight because you are not sitting in front of computer and/or tv snacking.
ReplyGood for him. I too tried everything in the world to lose weight until I found what worked for me. I am not a fan of diets that involve pills, starvation or prepackaged food. Sure,you may lose weight short term, but you are not learning how to eat in the real world and you are just going to gain it back once you start eating real food again.
ReplyI have lost 50 pounds over the last 2 years, and I have done it by watching my calories, eating less processed foods and getting in some kind of exercise every day. I have no desire to be skinny, just healthy and curvy! There is always room in my daily diet for a treat.
I usually walk 20 minutes every day and I wear SmartSole exercise insoles hTtp://www.fitbodysole.info. They are body toning insoles similar to Reebok Easytone that help you burn extra calories while you walk or work out as well as tone and tighten. Why not burn a few more calories while shopping. I read about them on my weight watchers board and the code phit10 gives you a 10% discount.
If I didn’t know any better I would think my wife wrote this, she’s always trying to get me to do things around the house.
ReplyThese are some of the best SAFE nutrients to help with weight loss.
They may speed up the process, however you still need to eat well and exercise.
Green tea is by far my favorite, the only herb I use every day, green tea may help you lose weight faster, but that is not the only reason why I take it, I drink it daily because green tea contains powerful antioxidants and provides many health benefits.
The mineral chromium has been well studied for its health benefits, especially its positive effect on blood sugar. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study found that 1000 mcg of Chromium Picolinate helped reduce food intake in overweight women by as much as 365 calories per day in just eight weeks while reducing cravings and hunger between meals.
Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is a form of the essential fatty acid, linoleic acid. Recent research has shown that use of CLA has proven to be effective in reducing body fat and increasing lean mass when combined with diet and exercise.
Gymnema sylvestre an Ayurvedic remedy believed to help with glucose metabolism is said to help control cravings for sugar.
If you are serious about losing weight permanently, not some fad diet that will only work temporarily you must check out the site below…
http://www.squidoo.com/Healthydietgoalsfor2010
If you think fish oil is really good for you, you must check this out…
http://www.squidoo.com/IsFishOilReallyGoodforYou
Warning: this tells you the truth that the people making tons of money selling fish and fish oil capsule don’t want you to know.
Obviously, the extra physical activity burns calories, but the fact you skip snacking because you are too busy make a big difference too. And what a bonus -- to congratulate yourself on a job well done and completion of something hanging over your head!
ReplyHahahaha Ed..sooooooo true
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