Doing Housework Doesn’t Really Provide Exercise Benefits, Study Finds

A lot of people include the time spent doing household chores as self-reported daily exercise. But a new British study actually shows a negative relationship between housework and leanness. In fact, people who included moderate to vigorous housework as part of their exercise routine tended to be heavier. This suggests that doing household chores probably doesn’t provide the benefits normally associated with meeting physical activity guidelines. The U.K. Department of Health recommends 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity a week. Only 43 percent of the population, however, said they meet or exceed the guidelines; two thirds included at least 10 minutes of housework in their weekly tally.