Back in the day when we were kids, one of the things we loathed most was doing household chores, because there’s nothing fun about mopping the floor and taking out the trash.
However, a team of scientists from McMaster University in Canada found that doing household chores actually makes you live longer! In fact, it is just as beneficial as going to the gym!
The participants in this research consisted of some 130,000 people of various income levels in 17 countries. The data collection ran for eight years, from 2003 to 2010 before they reported the findings.
It was discovered that people who workout at the gym, walk to work or do household chores actually enjoy the same health benefits. In fact, 30 minutes of ANY physical activity is sufficient to reduce the risk of death by 28 per cent and heart disease by 20 per cent.
Source: Japan Times
“Walking for as little as 30 minutes most days of the week has a substantial benefit, and higher physical activity is associated with even lower risks,” lead researcher Dr Scott Lear said.
“Going to the gym is great, but we only have so much time we can spend there. If we can walk to work, or at lunch time, that will help too,” he added.
Another interesting point they found was that there’s no ceiling on the health benefits of staying active and exercising; meaning the more active you are, the healthier you’ll get.
For instance, people who brisk walked for 750 minutes per week managed to lower the risk of premature death by 36 per cent.
So guys, you don’t have to spend a bomb on gym memberships just to stay healthy. As the research pointed out, doing simple household chores such as scrubbing the floor can make you healthier and ultimately live longer!
Well, all the more reason for mums to ask their kids to help out with household chores now.
Also read: Study Shows that Women Nowadays are Choosing Younger Husbands Instead
