As the weather gets colder, it becomes harder to step outside the house to exercise. This is especially true for outdoor aerobic activities like running or walking that you enjoyed. In such times, there are indoor aerobic exercises you can do. Surprisingly, they burn a lot of calories and are very effective.

 

Climbing stairs

 

Climbing stairs is one of the effective aerobic exercises. Try using the stairs in your apartment or house. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services considers carrying heavy groceries or other loads while climbing stairs to be a vigorous exercise. Climbing stairs burns 1.5 times more energy than walking on flat ground. Therefore, it is effective for burning calories, and the repeated process of increased breathing rate also strengthens cardiovascular function. In fact, a Harvard study shows that climbing stairs to the 10th floor twice a week can reduce the risk of death from myocardial infarction by 20%. Additionally, consistently climbing stairs naturally strengthens the glute muscles, providing a hip-up effect. When climbing stairs, keep your legs in a V shape, and ensure your pelvis and lower back are straight, with your chest upright. Engaging your glutes enhances the effectiveness. However, people with weak knee joints should avoid overexerting themselves when climbing stairs.

◇Burpee Test

 

The burpee test is an exercise that can improve both cardiovascular endurance and strength simultaneously. It allows you to train your entire body, including core muscles, in a short period of time. Let's lay down a mat and try a simple burpee movement. First, stand upright with your back straight in a ready position. From this stance, bend your upper body forward and sit down, placing both hands on the floor. Keeping your hands in place, jump both legs back as if jumping, so that your shoulders and toes form a straight line. Then, jump your legs back forward to return to the starting position. This completes one repetition. Perform 20 repetitions for 3 to 4 sets. While doing burpees quickly is important, you should also move as vigorously as possible to burn more calories.

 

Indoor bicycle

 

Bicycles are one of the representative aerobic exercises along with running. When exercising for the same amount of time, the calorie expenditure of indoor cycling and running is similar. According to a comparison of hourly calorie consumption by exercise type for a 70kg adult at Samsung Seoul Hospital Sports Medicine Center, riding an indoor bicycle at 25 km/h burns 780 kcal in one hour, while running at 9 km/h burns 700 kcal. If exercising without time restrictions, indoor cycling allows for longer duration, which may be more effective for fat burning. Bicycles mainly engage the lower body muscles, requiring less oxygen compared to whole-body movement, which delays fatigue. Additionally, increasing the intensity of cycling can turn it into anaerobic exercise, allowing for focused training of the lower body muscles. It also has the advantage of being suitable for people with heavier body weight or knee joint issues.

 

Doing household chores

 

Doing household chores such as cleaning and washing dishes can also be good aerobic exercise. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) in the United States stated that wiping windows for 45 to 60 minutes can provide a moderate-intensity aerobic workout. Additionally, a research team from the Oslo School of Sports Sciences in Norway found that doing household chores for more than an hour daily nearly halves the risk of death. Engaging in household chores burns calories and trains various parts of the body. Vacuuming for 30 minutes burns about 90 kcal, which is similar to doing 15 minutes of kickboxing. Washing dishes for 15 minutes over a week consumes about 560 kcal, comparable to swimming 2,500 meters. Moreover, ironing for an hour burns approximately 140 kcal, and cleaning the bathtub for 15 minutes burns about 100 kcal.

 

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Housework is tough after all, so exercise is the answer.

I saw someone who used to be a master of living exercises.

Even while washing dishes, maintain a squat posture.

He also did repeated movements lifting and lowering with his back muscles.