Damn those exercise boffins, always trampling on our fitness plans. “We should be building exercise into our lives, and accepting it as part of our daily routine,” Fox says.
Steady as you go
You don't need to do it all at once — 10-minute bursts of activity are effective too. Half-an-hour of digging or shoveling in the garden can burn 250 calories, with 105 for weeding and 100 for raking. Moderate vacuuming, or mopping, will burn 160 calories an hour. Even clothes shopping is good exercise, especially when trying on different outfits — you can expect to burn around 100 calories an hour; 20 to 25 minutes washing and waxing the car can also dispose of 100. You'll also improve flexibility and upper body strength. And, of course, there's sex — half-an-hour of which can use up 120 to 180 calories. Kerry McCloskey, who wrote a book on the subject, claims she sometimes even clears the 350 calorie mark. “This is roughly the equivalent of briskly walking, running, or lifting weights for 30 minutes,” she says.
But you do need to keep these things in check. Two hours of dancing on a Saturday night after downing your own body weight in booze, will not give you the figure of a dancer. Lucy Banfield is a member of the ensemble for the London show, Dirty Dancing — and if you want be as fit as she is, you'll have to work hard. “When we're rehearsing we usually start at 10am and finish at 6pm. It will be learning a new dance and going over it again, and again, so rehearsing can be harder than doing a show,” she says. Even when she's performing in the evening, Banfield will attend dance classes and keep up with her Pilates.
So while it is perfectly possible to stay healthy and fit, without ever having to enter a gym — so long as you actually do walk to work, rather than just thinking about it — we shouldn't start closing down fitness centers quite yet. For a start, if you're looking to improve muscle tone, or add bulk, using specific gym equipment will be the most effective way. Second, the reason why we joined in the first place — to force ourselves to exercise more — is still an important factor. “At the gym there are more performance markers, so you can see your improvement because you can do something for longer, or do it better,” says Jeukendrup. “It's a way of motivating yourself.”
Signs of improvement are not so obvious in everyday life. Many sports scientists are reluctant to give average calorie-burning statistics on, say, vacuuming, as they differ wildly according to each person.
Be reassured, however, that panting up and down the office stairs — 15 to 20 minutes = around 100 calories — bottle of water in each hand, is in no way a waste of time.
See you in the top-floor meeting room for some quick star jumps.
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