Physiologists
report that vacuuming or mopping the floor use up the same number of calories
per hour as gymnastics or playing croquet. Pushing a lawn mower or cleaning
windows is about equal in effort to playing volleyball or badminton. Light
carpentry, house painting, gardening, or leaf raking give one of the same
benefits as tennis or baseball. The more strenuous shoveling and wood chopping
is about the same as the crawl swimming. Stair climbing as among the most
vigorous of home act of home activities, as its equivalent ranges from jogging
to running. Even the seemingly effortless walk downstairs is equal to leisurely
skating.
By
checking the heart rate while performing such physical activities, one can gauge
the relative cardiorespiratory benefits available from particular activities.
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MARCH 7
