The last thing you want to do after a long day is clean the kitchen, sweep the floor, or take out the trash.
But what if I told you doing daily household chores like this could SLASH your risk of the world’s No.1 leading cause of death? (Especially if you’re a woman!)
Let me explain…
Chores could save your heart
According to researchers from the University of California-San Diego, doing household chores slashes the risk of heart disease in older women by more than 60 percent.
Researchers tracked common movements in a group of over 5,000 women between the ages of 63 and 97 for nearly eight years. (Participants wore accelerometers to help monitor and record their activity.)
Those movements were then categorized into five groups:
- Sitting
- Sitting in a vehicle
- Standing still
- Walking or running
- Daily life movements (including everything from getting dressed and walking, to cooking and washing dishes, and more)
Ultimately, researchers found that, compared to women who spent less than two hours each day on “chores”, those who spent four hours each day were 62 percent less likely to die from cardiovascular or coronary heart disease.
Those four hours also helped slash the risk of developing either condition by a whopping 43 percent. And stroke risk fell by nearly a third.
All from common tasks that you probably don’t even think twice about… including self-care activities, like showering and gardening!
Commit to moving your body
This study goes to show that traditional exercise routines aren’t the only way to keep your heart healthy.
In fact, there are numerous, simple ways to improve your cardiovascular health without an expensive gym membership. All it takes is a commitment to move your body.
The life movements that researchers analyzed in this study—like cooking and washing the dishes—are things I do every day. And they all count toward that weekly goal of spending 150 minutes on physical activity.
Plus, you can even create an effective, complimentary workout routine in the comfort of your own home. The internet has plenty of free workout videos you can watch on your TV, phone, laptop, or tablet.
Or if you want to keep it really simple… go for leisurely walks (with or without your dog!), take the stairs, play with your grandchildren, or even plant a garden.
The bottom line: These daily movements won’t cost a dime. But they might just save your life.
Source:
“Washing dishes, household chores can significantly slash heart disease risk for older women.” StudyFinds, 02/22/2022. (studyfinds.org/washing-the-dishes-heart-disease/)