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Get in Shape with Spring Chores
If you’re looking to tone up or slim down after the long, sedentary months of winter, you don’t have to spend your life savings on expensive exercise equipment or gym memberships. Sunny weather can boost your energy and mood, making spring a natural time to become more active. And, with so many spring cleaning chores that need to be done, there’s no need to fit time for exercise into your busy schedule, or to look any further than your own backyard for a simple, effective, and cost-free workout regimen.
Many household and garden chores burn a significant number of calories. Spend some time each day doing these common activities, and both you and your home and garden will be ship shape in no time. Here’s a quick look at the number of calories burned by just a few common springtime chores*:
Cleaning – 215
Gardening – 285
Mopping – 250
Moving furniture – 500
Mowing the lawn (not a riding mower)– 430
Painting – 320
Raking grass/leaves – 285
Scrubbing floors – 270
Sweeping – 285
Trimming shrubs and hedges – 320
Vacuuming – 250
Weeding – 320
*Estimates are based on the number of calories burned per hour by a 150-pound person. Actual calories burned depends on weight, metabolism, and how vigorously the activity is performed.
This Week's Features
Kick Up Your Condiments!
Farmers' Almanac Long Range Weather
May 20th - May 23rd
- Northeast U.S.
Fair.
- Midwest/Great Lakes U.S.
Fair Illinois, Michigan east.
- Southeast U.S.
Pleasant weather returns.
- North Central U.S.
Fair initially, then stormy.
- South Central U.S.
Fair initially, then stormy.
- Northwest U.S.
More clouds than sun.
- Southwest U.S.
Fair, but quickly turning stormy again.
• View entire Long Range Weather Forecast »
• Farmers' Almanac 2012 Summer Outlook »
• View the Almanac Daily Planner »
If you notice a hole in the upper left-hand corner of your Farmers' Almanac, don't return it to the store! That hole isn't a defect; it's a part of history. Starting with the first edition of the Farmers' Almanac in 1818, readers used to nail holes into the corners to hang it up in their homes, barns, and outhouses (to provide both reading material and toilet paper). In 1910, the Almanac's publishers began pre-drilling holes in the corners to make it even easier for readers to keep all of that invaluable information (and paper) handy.