Many people don’t like gyms.

Honestly, after years and years of being an unapologetic gym rat, I’ve personally crossed over to a point that over 80% of my workouts are performed either outdoors or at home using my own personal exercise equipment (free weights, an elliptical trainer, and a stationary bicycle).

I generally engage in exercise training at least five days a week, which leaves me with two full rest days. Now, these “rest days” are hardly rest days, as I tend to pack them with chores. In fact, between grocery shopping, cleaning and cooking, I usually work out more intensely.

Truth is, sometimes physical chores can actually replace workouts!

So, if you’re one of many people who truly hate the gym, you don’t necessarily have to go. Take care of home instead and burn some calories while doing so. Here’s what you can do today.

Tackle Some Housework

Believe it or not, you can burn up to 250 calories an hour by simply performing general household chores. Such chores may include anything from sweeping your floors or vacuuming your carpets, straightening up or dusting furniture, carrying around boxes, storing things or even just carrying out trash.

To really boost the calorie burning potential of housework, perform some calisthenics between tasks. Some great options include burpees, squats, lunges, pushups, and chair dips.

Related Article: Tone Up in 10 Minutes at Home

Do Your Own Laundry

Many people miss out on the calorie-burning potential of doing laundry by paying for this service. If you’re one of these people, I’m not trying to knock your hustle. But, do know that if you don’t have much time for exercise, you may be missing out an opportunity.

You can easily and effortlessly burn 150-200 an hour by doing your own laundry. Between transitioning clothes to and from the washer and dryer, folding, hanging and ironing, you can burn well over 500 calories in a day.

Related Article: Physical Fitness: It Doesn’t Have To Be All or Nothing

Prepare Your Own Meals

Sure meal preparation takes time and effort, but this is a good thing when you’re trying to get in a good work out. Every step you take during meal preparation counts. In fact, walking around to pull out and put away pots and pans, foods, and seasonings can burn up 190 calories an hour.

Even better, preparing your own meals will enable you to make healthier food choices while also saving money that you might otherwise spend on take out foods.

Related Article: Easy-to-Find Foods That Should Always Be on Your Grocery List

And, there you have it—Three ways to get fit at home without necessarily working out! Now, if you’re anything like me, you may go on 8-hour excursions performing any one of these three tasks. By the end of the day, you’ll easily burn well over 1,000 calories without even leaving your home.

Not convinced?

Get yourself a good activity tracking device and see exactly what I mean!