The new workout taking Zhumba's place (in my house anyway!)

26th May 2011


A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song. Maya Angelou

Well I may have gained 3lb on Monday but I know it will be gone by next Monday; I’m on course to shift it and I’m really enjoying everything I’m eating using my menu planner, although yesterday, I had souffléd egg on toast instead (recipe page 18 Simply Enjoy – if you don’t have it already there are two tokens in June & July’s Weight Watchers Magazine to get you £2 off) and it was delicious, then for my dinner I had cheesy beans and potato waffles which was very satisfying.

Today I’m going to make Corned Beef hash (recipe available here http://www.happyowls.co.uk/hash1.html ) as I have some potatoes that need using and I’m thinking wraps for my other meal, planning what I’m having is really helping because I look forward to that meal instead of thinking about all different things I’d like to eat!

I started on my big clean yesterday, this bank holiday is going to involve me going through my house and cleaning it thoroughly from top to bottom and getting rid of things I’m never ever going to wear or use. Started yesterday with a big drawer in my bedroom that was full of jewellery, toiletries and bits and bobs, it isn’t anymore, it’s all been sorted ;D I’ve got a long way to go but I’m gonna get there. I’m thinking “tidy house, tidy mind”, if I can get some order in my house I’ll feel better because at the moment it’s winding me up! Plus it’ll keep me busy with the long weekend and earn me Activity ProPoints for a glass of wine after a hard days work.
Yeah, who needs Zhumba when you can get a tidy home doing “The Housework Workout”! If your too busy cleaning house to do Zhumba? Relax - you can get in a workout even as you do your everyday housework. We already know it's recommended we do 30 minutes of moderate exercise at least five days a week to maintain good health. But did you know that any kind of physical activity counts, including housework?

Believe it or not, dusting, sweeping, mopping, making beds and carrying laundry all add up to a lot of 'incidental activity' — the type some health experts view as potentially more beneficial than 'official' workouts, such as calisthenics.

The reasoning: You are more likely to stick with moderate-intensity as opposed to high-intensity activity over a lifetime. And it's physical activity over the long term that helps maintain a healthy weight.

Depending on your weight and how hard you work, you can burn up to 250 calories an hour doing housework, and even more when gardening.

Another benefit of housework is that it exercises all the major muscle groups. Just consider the wide range of movements — walking, stretching, bending, lifting — involved in activities like making beds, vacuuming, washing windows, putting away dishes and taking out the rubbish.

Of course, the more movement you do, the better. Now mom’s not getting any younger I’m going to have to start doing more around the house, so housework is going to be my new workout, if I view it that way, it’ll make it less painful!

Plus I already walk the dog everyday, which means I get an hour of activity before I start my working day so this is one of the reasons I’ve decided to sell my Wii Fit, the console and all the games etc, so if you’re interested, get in touch.

Talking of dogs, it’s that time, so I better go, I’m already thinking about corned beef hash mmmmmm.

xx