Cleaning Your House Burns Calories: Easy Cardio
- Jaz The Sag
- May 25
- 2 min read
If you wanna diversify your exercise portfolio…I highly recommend vigorous cleaning. I didn’t intend to work up a sweat while taking care of regular responsibilities, but I discovered that any kind of physical activity impacts the body in some way. Whether that's vacuuming floors or lifting in the gym...you're engaging your core in these activities.
Repetitive movements, utilizing a wide range of motion, bending, squats, lunges, and all the challenging maneuvers that come with an intense cleaning session works your muscles. YOU. WILL. FEEL. THE. BURN. 🔥
Your house is lowkey a whole fitness studio—you just didn’t realize it yet.
Sweeping/vacuuming/mopping
Cleaning rooms and surfaces = Cardio
Let’s talk numbers real quick. Did you know that vacuuming for 30 minutes can burn around 100–160 calories depending on your weight and intensity? That’s right—every push, pull, and shuffle is your body putting in work. Now combine that with sweeping and mopping the floors (around 150 calories/hour), and your rooms become a calorie-burning battlefield, and that Swiffer is your dumbbell.
Deep cleaning your car
Cleaning seats and rows = Cardio
Detailing your own car is a workout. If you're like me, you probably block out some time and set a day to clean your vehicle inside and out, starting with a car wash. Vacuuming the floors and upholstery is work. You're stretching across and along your seat rows and bending to remove trash, wipe down surfaces, and disinfect. You can work up a sweat cleaning out your car and that's burning calories.
Chores That Tone
Squat Goals:
Folding laundry on the floor? Turn that into a squat session. Instead of bending over, drop it low (with good form!). Boom—toned thighs and clean drawers.
Core Work:
Wipe down countertops with intention. Engage your core while doing circular motions. You’re not just cleaning—you’re carving abs.
Arm Day:
Got stubborn grime? Use elbow grease like you mean it. Scrubbing in repetitive motions can work your biceps and triceps, especially with a little added resistance. Consider it your DIY Pilates class.
A Full-Body Burn Without the Burnout
The beauty of “chore fitness” is that it doesn’t feel like a traditional workout.
You’re being productive and you’re moving your body. No need to change into workout gear or block off a chunk of your already overbooked day. You’re multitasking like the boss you are—just now with more glutes involved.
Plus, moving intentionally during chores promotes non-exercise activity thermogenesis (aka NEAT), which is a fancy way of saying “all the calories you burn doing things that aren’t formal workouts.” NEAT is low-key the hero of sustainable fitness, especially for busy professionals. You don’t have to crush it at the gym every day to see and feel results.
Movement with Intention
You don’t need an expensive gym membership and complicated routines. Sometimes all you need is a good beat, a messy house, and a mindset shift.
So the next time you’re wiping down baseboards or reorganizing your closet, give yourself a little credit. You’re not “just cleaning”—you’re squeezing in a workout, improving your space, and showing up for your wellness in the most realistic, doable way.
Now, go ahead and light that candle after you’ve cleaned. You earned it.
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