Don’t Like Going to the Gym? Making This Tweak to How You Do Chores Could Help You Live Longer

Whether you have a full-time job, are a full-time parent, or are happily retired, finding time in your schedule to go to the gym is no easy feat. But according to a recent study published by the American Heart Association, making one simple improvement to your daily chores can actually help you live longer—without having to step inside a gym. There’s no denying that poor cardiovascular health is the leading cause of death worldwide, and structured exercise has been proven to curb the likelihood of cardiovascular disease. However, the new study found that conducting your daily chores and activities more briskly can help offer some of the same heart health benefits that a traditional workout provides.

“Historically, public health guidelines and clinical interventions have implicitly or explicitly emphasized long bouts of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity, often in the form of structured leisure-time exercise, for the prevention of chronic disease and premature mortality,” the study says. “The results of our study demonstrated for the first time that when it comes to cardiovascular health, each minute of incidental activity of higher intensity may be equivalent to 3 to 3.5 minutes of moderate-intensity and 35 to 50 minutes of light-intensity activity.”

The Link Between Intensive Chores and Heart Health

To conduct their study, researchers tapped 6,095 participants from the UK Biobank from a prospective study of adults between the ages of 40 to 69. Participants wore an accelerometer on their wrist for seven days to monitor their physical activity within specific intervals. What they found is that participants who engaged in incidental activities—or exercise derived from daily activities, like walking briskly around the kitchen while unloading the dishwasher—had a reduced likelihood of cardiac and cardiovascular disease. These activities correlated with a 51-67% reduction of the aforementioned conditions, along with a 69% reduction in all-cause mortality. 

Additionally, researchers found that an average time of 23.4 to 23.9 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity (MIPA) was linked to a 40%, 50%, and 47% lower risk of adverse cardiac events, cardiovascular disease, and all-cause mortality. Essentially, turning everyday tasks—like buying groceries, cleaning the bathroom, or dusting—into higher intensity activities can be compared to more formal exercise routines. “Interventions targeting incidental physical activity may be a potent yet relatively unexplored avenue to promote healthier lifestyles, especially for people who face several barriers linked to structured exercise,” the study adds. So the next time you’re spring cleaning or running errands around town, consider picking up the pace to turn chore time into a time-saving workout.