Fit Friday: Get Fit Cleaning Your House!

This week the theme of Women Living Well has been on the Proverbs 31 woman and homemaking. So the fit tip of the week correlates with the theme.

The Proverbs 31 woman is described in verse 17 as having "arms strong for her tasks". One way that we can grow stronger is simply by cleaning. We can burn about 200 calories walking for an hour or burn 100-500 calories by doing some deep cleaning for an hour AND have the max benefit of getting a task done!

Imagine how much harder tasks were physically 100 years ago. Women had to scrub their laundry, wring it out and then hang it on a line. They had to pluck the feathers off of chickens, knead dough, wash all their dishes by hand and beat their rugs.

Last Friday I showed how to make a fitness notebook. One way to grow physically stronger is to work out - but another way simply comes through out the course of the day as you manage your home. If you don't have time to bike, run, swim or exercise or have the money to invest in a treadmill or gym membership - you can squeeze these other activities in during the day to gain some muscle and flexibility.

1. When you are making your bed and stretching to pull the covers - add an extra stretch in to gain some flexibility.
   
2. When you are lifting your laundry basket to carry up the stairs - do a couple extra lifts - up and down to strengthen your arms.
   
3. When you are mopping the kitchen floor - really push down on the mop and scrub - this will strengthen your core and back.
   
4. If you have stairs in your home - do a couple extra trips up and down putting shoes and items away - this will get your heart rate up.
   
5. If there is raking, mulching or outdoor sweeping to be done - do it continually for 30+ minutes to get your heart rate up and strengthen your arms.
   
6. Weeding, window washing, vacuuming and dusting all strengthen your arms, legs and abs - and we ALL know that carrying those babies on our hips is NO easy task!
   

I have noticed my arms are weaker now that I don't have to carry my children anymore! Those baby carriers are a workout!!! But once those babies grow into preschoolers - our arms and backs will weaken if we do not keep our arms "strong for our tasks". We must not shy away from hard work - it's good for us!!! Working hard will help us live well with energy and vibrance and benefit our families with a clean place to take refuge.

Walk with the King!

http://www.womenlivingwell.org/