By Vanessa Pahlad-Singh, MS, CCRP; Eduardo Avila; Sarah McCarthy; Nayarit Rodriguez

In a world where time is limited, many people believe that exercise can only happen in a gym, requires equipment, or demands a large block of time, creating a mindset that keeps people inactive.  Household chores are often overlooked as a significant opportunity to incorporate physical activity and exercise into daily life. When performed with intention and self-monitoring skills, chores can improve cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength, and overall health. This article explores how everyday household work can be transformed into meaningful exercise using time management, heart rate awareness, and the Rating of Perceived Exertion Scale to guide intensity.  

At their core, routine household tasks involve many functional movements: lifting, bending, carrying, pushing, pulling, squatting, and reaching. These movements are common to the many exercises prescribed in cardiopulmonary rehabilitation in the various domains of aerobic training, resistance training, flexibility, and balance. The key difference is intention. For example, vacuuming can be considered a light activity, or it can be performed as a moderate-intensity workout, depending on pace and duration.  

Reframing chores as exercise can help people recognize that movement does not need to be formal to be effective. For individuals who are intimidated by gyms or managing chronic conditions, chore-based exercise may deliver many health benefits.  

Cleaning and Housework  

• Vacuuming or sweeping: Increases heart rate when done briskly, especially in larger spaces. Adding deliberate lunges, trunk rotations, shoulder flexing, alternating hands, or increasing intensity by working faster around the house can build a great workout. 
• Mopping floors: Engages the core, shoulders, and legs. A wide stance and controlled rotation can turn this into a dynamic, full-body movement.  
• Scrubbing bathrooms: Requires upper-body endurance and core stability, particularly when cleaning tubs, toilets, or showers  
• Moving furniture: Recruits global large muscle groups, all moving in unison as a primary mover. As a bonus, the core is activated, maintaining the stability and safety of the spine. The chest, shoulders, and arms are also recruited to stabilize the upper body.  (Important safety note: Unlike carrying groceries, moving furniture often involves "isometric" straining — pushing against an object that doesn't move easily — and holding one’s breath. This can spike blood pressure rapidly. Always use furniture sliders to reduce friction, and never lift heavy items alone.)   
• Tidying the bedroom: Making the bed is a simple, fast chore that works the entire body using the back, core, and upper-body muscles. Since this activity requires continuous movement for several minutes, it’s a great exercise to practice "pacing" while working at a steady, moderate rhythm rather than rushing to finish.
• Lifting objects: While safely bending knees, hips, and ankles, lifting an object from the ground recruits lower-body muscles, back, and core in a manner similar to squatting.  
• Doing laundry: Carrying laundry baskets strengthens the legs, arms, and core. Toting smaller loads for longer distances can increase cardiovascular endurance.  

Kitchen  

• Meal prepping: Standing, chopping, and reaching contribute to light activity. Adding intentional calf raises, squats, or standing on one leg can increase muscular engagement.  
• Dishwashing: Coupled with posture awareness and core activation, this chore can improve endurance and balance.  

Outdoor Work  

• Gardening: Digging, raking, and weeding involve squatting, lifting, and pulling, often reaching moderate intensity.  
• Shoveling snow, mowing the lawn, or raking leaves: These higher-intensity chores requires pacing, proper form, mindful breathing, and rest breaks to stay safe.  
• Carrying bags: Carrying bags at your sides engages the core, shoulders, and grip, teaching the body to handle physical stress efficiently. 

A common barrier to exercise includes the belief that 30 to 60 minutes of dedicated time is needed. Chore-based exercises challenge this idea by adding structured movement into tasks that already need to be done.  Short bouts of activity that are 10 to 15 minutes in duration can accumulate throughout the day to meet recommended physical activity guidelines. For example: 

• A brisk 10 minutes of vacuuming in the morning, plus
• Carrying groceries and putting them away in the afternoon, followed by  
• Gardening or yard work for 15 minutes in the evening  

Doing It Right, and Making It Count

This accumulation of movement makes physical activity and exercise more achievable and sustainable. Scheduling chores strategically can also help manage energy levels. More physically demanding chores can be done earlier in the day or broken into intervals, while easier chores can fill in lower energy periods of the day and can have longer duration.  

Heart rate monitoring can provide an objective way to understand how hard the body is working by either using smart watches or exercise trackers or manually counting one’s pulse. Brisk house cleaning, stair climbing with laundry, or sustained yard work can be considered moderate-intensity exercise when done continuously for at least 10 minutes. Watching heart rates during chores can be motivating, a clear demonstration that cleaning the house can stress the cardiovascular system. For safety — especially in patients with heart or lung conditions — heart rate monitoring should be paired with symptom awareness, so that activity is stopped with chest discomfort, dizziness, or shortness of breath.  

In addition, Ratings of Perceived Exertion (RPE) is a simple, subjective scale that asks, “How hard is this activity?” Using a 0-10 scale for simplicity empowers and teaches individuals to adjust activity based on how they feel and adjust one’s pace by resting or increasing intensity as tolerated. Importantly, RPE can also account for daily variability such as fatigue, stress, and sleep.  

While very accessible, chore-based exercises still require attention to safety. Proper posture, lifting mechanics, footwear, and hydration are important to this type of exercise routine. Activities such as shoveling or heavy lifting should be paced and timed with frequent breaks and hydration. Performing a variety of exercises can prevent overuse injuries and keep activities engaging. Mixing upper- and lower-body chores creates a balanced exercise routine.   

Completing a variety of household chores also acts as a powerful "dual task" workout that strengthens both the heart and the brain simultaneously. While physical movement stimulates blood flow to the entire body and brain, the chores themselves demand complex cognitive processing. Activities like organizing a closet, following a recipe, or planning the order of chores require you to focus, sequence steps, recall locations, and solve problems in real time. This combination of physical exertion and mental engagement helps maintain neuroplasticity, improving memory and processing speed while building the confidence needed for independent living.  

Household chores are more than a ‘to-do list.’ They are opportunities to move and support long-term health gains. By approaching chores with intention, being mindful of heart rate, and using the RPE scale, everyday activities can become genuine forms of exercise.

Sarah McCarthy is a clinical exercise physiologist and ACSM-CPT at Montefiore Health System, where she specializes in helping rehabilitate cardiopulmonary patients by breathing easier and moving stronger. With an MS in health and human performance, she is dedicated to bridging the gap between clinical science and personal recovery. When not in the clinic, McCarthy is usually out running on the trails—she doesn’t just prescribe movement; she lives it.

Nayarit Rodriguez holds a master’s degree in exercise physiology and a Bachelor of Science in public health. She grew up dancing competitively for 15 years, which sparked her lifelong passion for health and wellness. She currently works with patients in cardiopulmonary rehabilitation at Montefiore Health System, focusing on helping individuals make sustainable lifestyle changes to support long-term health outcomes.

Vanessa Pahlad-Singh is program director and manager of the cardiopulmonary rehabilitation program at Montefiore Medical Center. With an MS in clinical exercise physiology, her professional focus is on advancing cardiopulmonary rehab through innovative practice models, with an emphasis on technology and alternative delivery methods to improve access, engagement, and outcomes. A 2025 graduate of AACVPR's Leadership Development Academy and a recipient of the Million Hearts® Advancing Cardiac Rehabilitation Mini Grant, her interests include improving enrollment and adherence in cardiopulmonary rehab and exploring emerging connections between cardiac rehabilitation and cognitive outcomes.

Eduardo Avila is a 2024 graduate of Concordia University in Chicago. His career began in Montefiore Medical Center Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation, where he continues to practice today. Soccer is his passion, and he enjoys the competitive edge and chemistry-building with his teammates. Eduardo is a team player and, through his experience, enhances the quality of care provided to his patients.