Clean your way

to a healthier you

Source: Nicole Peritore, Get Moving Kentucky coordinator

Many of us would love to work more physical activity into our schedules but between responsibilities at work and home, it can be hard to squeeze it in. The 30 minutes of physical activity most days of the week most health and wellness experts recommend may seem impossible.

Not helping matters are the short days and cold weather associated with winter. Fortunately, spring is upon us and with that comes longer days and warmer weather to encourage more outdoor physical activity.

If you are concerned about getting all of your physical activity in, remember there is another spring ritual that will burn some calories—spring cleaning. While cleaning may not be vigorous physical activity, it can burn a decent amount of calories, especially if you have not been very active this winter. The number of calories some common household chores burn is listed below. These calories are for a person of average weight (150 pounds). Your calories burned may be more or less depending on your weight.

20 minutes vacuuming – 56 calories

30 minutes folding laundry – 75 calories

30 minutes dusting – 80 calories

20 minutes washing the car – 102 calories

30 minutes mopping – 153 calories

60 minutes gardening – 324 calories

Other household and lawn chores, such as pruning, putting away dishes, mulching and removing cobwebs, work different muscle groups and burn calories. So don’t think of cleaning as only a chance to freshen and improve your home and lawn, but a chance to rejuvenate your body. For more tips on increasing your physical activity, contact the Clinton County office of the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service.

Educational programs of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability, or national origin.

kynect

Help Day

A kynect Help Day will be held on Monday, March 31st to assist individuals in making health insurance decisions. The kynect Help Day will be held at the Clinton County Extension Office from 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. in collaboration with the Clinton and Cumberland Family Medical Center.

Please be prepared and bring the following items with you to your assigned kynect Help Day: Social Security card, birth certificate, driver’s licenses, and income verification (last paystub, 2012/2013 tax return, monthly benefit award letter, or bank statement). March 31st is the last day to enroll.

For more information, contact the Clinton County Extension Office at 387-5404.Educational programs of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability, or national origin.