Sick of running, swimming, rope jumping, rowing and elliptical training? It's alright as you can take a break for the moment. I'm pleased to announce that there is a new cardio workout in town and it's spring cleaning.

Spring cleaning, which refers to the yearly affair of of cleaning a house from top to bottom before the dawn of spring is a must for all families. This is especially so because one has unknowingly accumulated much clutter over the past year. Unless the negative energies from this clutter is removed, the 'qi' in the house will not be revitalised. I've taken over a major role in the spring cleaning of the house in recent years and it has presented me with a view of things I have never been able to see before.

I'm not joking when I say that spring cleaning is indeed the new cardio workout in town. The very act of climbing up and down, whitewashing the ceilings, walls, shelves and cleaning the floor on all fours spells nothing but cardiovascular in nature. Interestingly, it is also an excellent overall body workout. 

When I was on the stool reaching out to the ceilings, I activated my gastrocnemius muscle. This is similar to the calf raises that I do in the gym. When I further reached out to rid the spider webs, I was relying on my deltoid strength. Stepping up and down the ladder resembled the step-ups I do at the gym. 

When I was back on solid ground and squatted to clean the lower ends of the wall, I was surprised at how long I could squat as my quadriceps were well-trained over the years. When I had to bend over to reach out to the hard-to-reach corners of the room, I remembered doing a one-hand plank. And trust me, this tests nothing other than your core strength.

All these muscles were used plus I perspired for 6 hours continuously. Which cardio workout in town allows you to sweat it out for this long? I think only a marathon comes close to it. And since most of us don't run marathons regularly, we can always turn to spring cleaning as an alternative.

Happy spring cleaning!

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One of my clients texted me this morning. After reading the message, a wide smile appeared on my face. His sms read: "Did my run yesterday. Low: 9.0; High: 12.0 for 20 mins excl warmup n cooldown. Total distance around 4.7km"

This is definitely cause for celebration. I'm happy for him and I'm sure he's happy for himself too. Like what I said, it's always difficult starting something new. But once you get into the groove of things, it becomes second nature. I'm positive he's only going to love his runs even more if he continues to presevere. And of course, watch him lose his kilos effectively. Way to go!

 

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