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Housework keeps

you fit

ISLAMABAD: Housework can benefit your body in addition to putting a sparkling shine in your home, said an American health expert.

You may not have time to spend an hour each day at the gym, but you can reduce stress and improve fitness by performing routine activities such as housework, said Sheila King, an exercise physiologist with more than 15 years of experience.

Research has shown that engaging in any regular activity at all can provide significant health benefits for those who have sedentary jobs, which involve sitting for a large part of the day and who do not participate in any regular physical activity or sports in their leisure time.

Of all the health habits you might adopt in your life, beginning and maintaining a lifetime of physical activity is the single most important change you can make for improved longevity, said Sheila King, who is also a certified Programme Director of the American College of Sports Medicine.

Women's time spent doing housework has declined, she noted as washing machines, dryers and housekeepers have all helped lessen the housework burden.

Housework like repairs and shopping involves on your feet activity, and this type of movement uses the large muscle groups of the legs in walking and stair climbing, etc.

Through "on your feet" and moderate to vigorous activity, you will also realise benefits such as weight control and a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and some cancers.

To provide a frame of reference, how much energy can one expend doing housework, she said someone weighing 130 pounds will expend about 1.0 calorie per minute while sleeping, 1.2 surfing the Internet and 10.3 calories per minute while running at a 10-minutes-per-mile ( or 5 mph) pace.ÑAPP