Gardening is not Exercise

Traditionally, activities such as gardening and housework have always been encouraged as a means of burning calories, but new research published in the journal BMC Public Health has dispelled these claims.

Scientists at the University of Ulster studied over 4000 people, and results show that of those that counted gardening and housework as part of their exercise regime were heavier than those who partook in traditional forms of exercise and fitness for the same amount of time.

These results are backed up NHS recommendations which say gardening, housework and DIY do not raise the heart rate sufficiently to count towards the recommended 150 minutes of moderate exercise every week.

Professor Marie Murphy, who led the study said;

“Housework is a physical activity and any physical activity should theoretically increase the number of calories burned… we found that housework is inversely related to leanness…”

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