Walking vs household chores: Which exercise burns more calories

When we struggle to find time for outdoor workout like walking, we often compare it to the household chores. The comparison stems from the fact that household chores use similar kinds of physical strength, so is it advisable to swap walking hours with household chores?
It is often debated whether traditional exercises like walking are more effective than everyday activities such as household chores. Both have unique benefits, but which burns more calories?
Let’s understand

You can ideally burn 100-200 calories per hour of walking

Walking is perhaps the most commonly exercised activity for the simple fact that it’s easy, accessible, and most of all, effective. A brisk walk through the park or an easy stroll up the street is sure to bring benefits in terms of health and can burn off so many calories.

The number of calories burned while walking depends on the speed, weight, and time taken to walk. For example, a 70 kg person who walks at a moderate pace of 3 mph would burn approximately 240 calories per hour. At a brisk pace of 4 mph, the same person could burn about 300 calories per hour.
Walking helps improve cardiovascular health, strengthen muscles, and maintain mental wellness by reducing stress. It’s a low-impact activity, making it suitable for people of all fitness levels and ages. Walking outdoors can also provide additional benefits such as exposure to fresh air and sunlight, which boosts vitamin D levels.
To maximize calorie burn, increase your pace or incorporate intervals of faster walking. Adding weights or walking on an incline can further enhance calorie expenditure.

Household chores are exercises in disguise

Household chores, not considered exciting enough, can indeed burn a high number of calories. Vacuuming, mopping, gardening, and washing windows fall into the domain of light to moderate exercise and require physical energy.
The calories burnt vary according to the type and intensity of the activity. For instance, vacuuming burns about 175 calories per hour for a 70 kg person. Mopping burns approximately 200 calories per hour. Gardening burns between 250-300 calories per hour depending on the task performed. Washing dishes burns about 90 calories per hour.

Chores that require lifting, bending, or constant movement, such as scrubbing the floors or rearranging the furniture, burn more calories than sedentary work.
It should be noted that the amount of calories that may be associated with each of the household chores might vary from person to person.

Walking or household chores: Which is better?

Again, this all hinges on your goals and personal preferences. If burning calories is your aim, walking at a brisk pace tends to be more efficient and predictable. A dedicated walk of an hour at 4 miles per hour can burn 300-400 calories, depending on your weight.
Housework can also be helpful, as long as you choose more strenuous tasks or combine several activities that will keep you active for an hour or so. For example, one hour of intense cleaning-that would include sweeping, mopping, scrubbing, and vacuuming-would burn approximately 250-300 calories, roughly the same number as a brisk walk taken at a moderate speed.

Walking at a brisk pace usually burns more calories per hour than light household chores such as washing dishes or folding laundry. However, more vigorous chores such as scrubbing floors or gardening can rival or even exceed the calorie burn from walking.
Walking provides a consistent calorie burn, whereas the intensity of household chores varies significantly based on the task. Walking is often easier to sustain for a longer duration because it’s a rhythmic and repetitive activity. Household chores may be more sporadic and require frequent changes in motion, which can make them harder to sustain.
Walking primarily engages the lower body muscles, whereas household chores can involve a broader range of muscles, depending on the activity. For example, mopping and vacuuming engage the arms, shoulders, and core, in addition to the legs.
Walking outside often has mental health benefits, such as reducing anxiety and improving mood, which may not be as pronounced with household chores. Household chores offer the added benefit of accomplishing tasks that improve your living space, making them a productive form of exercise.

The idea is to stay active

In 2023, a Lancet study highlighted the importance of brief bouts of physical activity and its impact on the heart. “Our study found that moderate-to-vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity (MV-ILPA) bouts of between 1 min and 5 min were associated with reductions in all-cause mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events and that these associations were similar for MV-ILPA bouts of 5 min to less than 10 mins, for which risk of all-cause mortality and major cardiovascular events was 29–44% lower than bouts of less than 1 min,” the study highlighted.
Few suggestions:
Start your day with a 30-minute walk to get your heart rate up and boost your metabolism.
Do 30 minutes of household chores to work out different muscle groups and stay active.
If you do not have time for a dedicated walk, increase the intensity of your chores to compensate.