With summer right around the corner, people are going far lengths to burn those extra calories and get “swim suit ready.” What if it was much easier than paying hundreds of dollars on a gym membership and “healthy” diet food from a box? According to various health and nutrition websites such as sheknows.com, WebMD, and care2.com, your daily chores and routine can burn hundreds of calories.

Cleaning:

Sweeping- 118 calories
Mopping- 129 calories
Grocery shopping- 82 calories
Mowing the lawn- 197 calories
Gardening- 143 calories
Raking the leaves- 154 calories
Making your bed- 72 calories
Shoveling snow- 400-600 calories per hour
Heavy yard work- 400-600 calories per hour

Exercise (because it is still necessary to effectively lose the pounds):

30 minutes of jogging in place- 251 calories
30 minutes of walking up hills- 251 calories
30 minutes of standing- 72 calories
30 minutes of playing Frisbee- 107 calories

Research also proves that child care burns about 300-600 calories per hour. Other helpful hints to work into your everyday routine are walking the dog when you wake up in the morning, take the stairs everywhere you go- no elevators or escalators, park far away and walk as much as possible, limit television time and replace that time with gardening or chores or any outside activity.

Along with these activities, incorporate a serving of fruits and veggies in every meal. Have some berries with your oatmeal at breakfast, a salad at lunch, and a side of broccoli instead of French fries at dinner. Taking the small steps with consistency will ensure a healthier lifestyle and a bikini body to brag about this summer.