14 Everyday Activities That Burn More Calories Than You Think
Discover 14 everyday activities that surprisingly burn a significant amount of calories. From gardening to laughing, find out how your daily routines contribute to your fitness.
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We often associate calorie burning with intense gym sessions and long runs. However, many everyday activities can help you burn calories without you even realizing it. From household chores to leisurely activities, here are 14 things you’re probably already doing that contribute to your daily calorie burn.
Walking the Dog
Taking your furry friend for a stroll isn’t just beneficial for them. Depending on your pace and the dog’s size, you could burn between 150-200 calories in an hour.
Gardening
Believe it or not, gardening is a full-body workout. Digging, planting, weeding, and other garden activities can burn up to 300 calories per hour.
Cleaning the House
Vacuuming, dusting, and scrubbing your home isn’t just good for hygiene. It can also help you burn around 170 calories per hour.
Dancing
Whether you’re out at a club, at a wedding, or just dancing around your living room, dancing is a fun way to burn calories. An hour of dancing can burn anywhere from 200-600 calories, depending on the intensity.
Cooking
From chopping vegetables to standing and stirring, cooking is more active than you might think. An hour in the kitchen can burn about 150 calories.
Shopping
Carrying bags, walking around the mall, and trying on clothes can all add up. An hour of shopping can burn up to 180 calories.
Playing Musical Instruments
Playing an instrument, especially larger ones like the drums, can be quite the workout. An hour of playing can burn between 100-300 calories.
Painting
Whether you’re painting a canvas or a wall, this activity can help you burn around 290 calories per hour.
Playing with Kids
From running around to lifting them up, playing with kids is both fun and active. You can burn up to 290 calories per hour.
Singing
Belting out your favorite tunes, especially in a more professional setting, can burn about 140 calories per hour.
Taking the Stairs
Opting for stairs instead of the elevator is a small change with big benefits. Climbing stairs can burn 10 calories per minute.
Laughing
Yes, even laughing can burn calories! Laughing for 10 minutes can burn between 20-40 calories.
Chewing Gum
While it’s not a significant burn, chewing gum can burn about 11 calories per hour.
Fidgeting
If you’re someone who constantly taps their foot or bounces their knee, you’re in luck. Fidgeting can burn up to 350 calories a day.
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Michelle Harler is the founder of Guide2Free, a website dedicated to finding and sharing freebies, product testing opportunities, and other ways to save money. With over a decade of experience in the industry, her expertise in finding quality offers makes Guide2Free an invaluable resource for anyone looking to try new products and save money.