Compare & Contrast Fitness

by Heather Long | More from this Blogger

16 Apr 2006 12:00 PM

Yesterday, we talked about the do it yourself activities that can improve your level of daily exercise without the grind of the gym - compare what you can do versus the time you spend in the gym.

Moderate Activity List You should perform one or more of these activities for up to 60 minutes a day five days a week. You can combine them - for example walking the dog and washing the car for thirty minutes each can equal sixty minutes in a day.

• Walking the dog on a level surface.
• Playing an instrument while moving.
• Singing while moving.
• Gardening-raking, leaf bagging, digging, using an electric lawn mower.
• Scrubbing floors.
• Cleaning windows.
• Carrying out bags of rubbish.
• Washing the car.

Vigorous Activity List

You should perform one or more of these for about 20 minutes a day only 3 days a week.

• Pushing a manual lawn mower.
• Shoveling heavy loads or rapid digging.
• Heavy housework, such as moving furniture.
• Going up or down stairs carrying objects weighing 50lb or more.
• Carrying heavy shopping.
• Energetic play with children. Lifting a child of 25lb or more.
• Hand-sawing hard wood.
• Lying on your back and bench-pressing a child.

You can perform the above on a regular basis or you could do the following gym workouts in order to match the same level of activity and burn the same amount of calories. You would need to do the following over time up to 3 to 5 times a week.

• Swimming: 2hrs
• Running: 1hr 30mins
• Cycling: 2hrs 10mins
• Lifting weights: 3hrs 30mins

Neither program is better nor worse - it's about personal choice. For example, you could swim laps thirty minutes a day and build up your cardiovascular and muscular strength. You can enjoy the activity and there's nothing wrong with that. However, if you want some alternatives - consider the do it yourself program.

cardio, fitness, house cleaning, lifting weights, mowing lawn