5 house chores that have health benefits
- Mowing the grass: This and other types of yard work are good cardiovascular workouts. A Swedish study showed that people who do their own yard work have a nearly 30 percent lower risk of having a heart attack or stroke.
- Washing dishes: It can reduce anxiety by 27 percent, according to a recent study by the Florida State University's psychology department. How? It has to do with the calming effect of having your hands soak in warm water using sweet smelling soap.
- Making up the bed: Most of us have been doing this every morning for years. If you are one of these, you probably have better productivity, a greater sense of well-being, you're better at sticking to a budget, and you get a better night's sleep than others, according to Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit.
- Clean up clutter: People who live in cluttered homes are 77 percent more likely to be overweight or obese, according to author Peter Walsh, who wrote Cut the Clutter, Drop the Pounds.
- Grow a vegetable garden: Physical activity such as growing a vegetable garden can lower depression by triggering the release of serotonin. According to Dr. Christopher Lowry, PhD, a professor at the University of Colorado, Boulder, this activity works like depression drugs in reducing depression.
Read more at www.rd.com/home/cleaning-organizing/health-benefits-chores/