Household chores are a good form of workout

If you’re a homemaker, you’re going to like the sound of this news. According to experts, doing household work like carrying groceries and climbing stairs is just as effective as the latest fad of high-intensity interval training workout.

According to a study from a group of professors from the University of Sydney, many daily tasks can actually be classified as high-intensity incidental physical activities (HIIPA).

High-intensity interval training - short, sharp bursts of activity that use up at least six times as much energy as resting - is all the rage in gyms and fitness classes.

The study that was published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine says that, "The length of each incidental PA bout can vary from a 'short and sweet' few seconds, such as climbing a few flights of stairs three to four times a day, to several minutes or even hours of active commuting, housework or shopping. Besides meeting recommended targets, incidental PA offers opportunities for brief episodes of vigorous intensity PA which, compared with moderate intensity, provides superior 'per time unit' health benefits."

Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis said bringing the principles of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) into everyday life could be the key to helping unfit and overweight people get the exercise they need to improve their health.

The researchers said people could get significant health benefits from doing three to five energetic daily tasks totaling as little as five to 10 minutes a day, most days of the week.