Wondering how to burn those extra inches when you have no time to work out? These calorie-burning chores will keep you looking great.

You made a New Year resolution with great aplomb to shrug off those unflattering inches. But lopping your locks hasn't helped you to clamber out of the chub rut. Of course, you are working and have absolutely zero time to spare for the gym routine, forget hiring a personal trainer.

Take heart. You can tap into the reservoir of household jobs to burn those callous calories. And, yeah, it ain't infra-dig.

There are a slew of activities that you could pack into your week. Shopping for groceries, lugging your purchases to the car and then into your apartment, and running after your tyke in and around the playground.

Get intensive and pour your energy into the calorie-chomping chores with a vengeance and watch the inches melt away...

Dust busters

Flicking dust particles off the shelves, furniture and knick-knacks gets you to bend the right way. You can even keep those arms shapely by polishing woodwork for good measure. Make sure you reach for the oft-ignored nooks, corners and crannies to zap away the layers of dirt. “I climb on the kitchen ladder and change the newspapers lining my larder once every fortnight,” says Seema Kapoor, financial advisor. “By the time I am through with a dozen-odd shelves, I feel as if I have had a gym workout.”

If your refrigerator stands in the cooking area, grease licks its complexion. Bring the scrubbing of electronic appliances and tiles once a week into your schedule, employing an effective surface cleaner. Of course, remember to encase your manicured hands in disposable gloves to shrug off the home-bee image. “Get aggressive,” shares Antara Sud, home-maker, “wiping the grime off fans helped me lose quite a few inches when I began my post-partum get-slim routine.”

Point to note: Since you spend a minimum of four hours a week tidying up and cleaning, work smart by turning the process into a meticulously planned workout and lose up to 200 calories an hour.

Bed it right

Bend it like Beckham. Whenever you make the beds, you bend and stretch. Just add a few more bends and stretches while you make all the beds in the house. This mattress mambo spells a super calorie crunch if you do it right.

“Try lifting the heavy mattress to sweep the sheet ears underneath, instead of simply stuffing the border along the sides,” suggests Urvashi Malik. “It gives me a sense of satisfaction that I am doing my bit to keep my room clean and flexing my muscles simultaneously while working those chubby pillows into their crisp cases.”

Remember to change the sheets as often as thrice a week to feed your fetish for cleanliness. And while you are at it, remember to wrestle with the mattress and side wraps in the baby cot as well.

Point to note: Avoid sharp swoops to prevent sudden muscle pulls along your back.

Clothes carp

The next time you groan and moan about your dhobi playing hooky, thank her for making you do the laundry. Gathering dirty clothes, shoving the linen into the washing machine and loading the dryer helps tone your thighs and improves flexibility. Of course, if you are blessed with a multi-storeyed habitat, the constant running up and down the stairs serves as a neat aerobic workout.

“There is no space to accommodate a dryer in my pigeon-hole drying area,” confesses Gauri Desai. “This makes it necessary to stretch out and pin the clothes on the lines outside the window. When I lean out, I can feel the muscles stretch along my waist.”

As you carry the basket of soiled clothes to washing machine, do some lunges. And, while you are folding clothes, work in a few sly butt clenches or calf raises to pump up those muscles.

Point to note: Perform the entire thing on your own: from bending down to fishing out the detergent to yanking open the dryer and opening the windows.

Score card

If you thought that domestic calorie management is infra dig, think again. Human resources specialist and mother-of-two Ritu Sharma says, “There is no time for a gym routine. I need to wind up home chores and have a quick shower in the two hours that my young one spends in playschool. Calorie crunching through cooking, tidying up and racing around my house comes to my rescue.”

The best way to crunch those calories is to sweep and swab, the traditional way, by using a broom and a mop. “Carefully observe your maid. She will have flat abs, great glutes, toned thighs and arms,” says fitness expert Leena Mogre, Director, Leena Mogre's Fitness Academy. “The continuous bending and straightening helps her burn more calories. Realistically, along with diet control, these exercises at home and a normal gym workout, you can easily shrug off2.5 kg per month.”

Point to note: Wear ankle weights and wrist weights while sweeping or scrubbing the floors.

Calorie Counter

You can burn these many calories during half an hour of:

Cooking (including standing and peeling, chopping vegetables): 120-150.

Dusting (cleaning fans, grills and windows): 120-150.

Gardening (picking up pots, working in the fertilizer, replanting): 150-180.

General housework (answering door bells, laying the table, answering the phone, filling bottles) : 120-150.

Clothes carousel (ironing, loading the washing machine, loading the dryer): 180-210

Lugging groceries from car till apartment and small bags to your car: 180-210

Tot Tidiness (Clearing toys, arranging the cupboards, keeping the kid's room clean): 200 to 250

(Leena Mogre, Director, Leena Mogre Fitness Academy)

From flab to fab

Use wax polish instead of a spray. You will need to rub harder for a super shine.

Avoid piling up items at the bottom of the stairs. Rush up and down with individual items.

Create excuses for re-runs. Stack the dishes in the sink, then run upstairs to do the dusting in the bedroom. Then downstairs to take the doorbell.

Keep dry clothes on the floor while ironing. You have to bend each time to pick up an item.

Knead the atta, wash the mixie, clean out your fridge and spruce up your electrical chimney. Discover new ways to work in the kitchen.

Play your favourite music and turn up the volume, it will help you polish and sweep that bit harder.

(Shalini Bhargava, Director, JG Fitness Academy)

Factoid: According to a new survey by the Discovery Channel, many of us find cleaning our homes ‘mentally therapeutic' and say it helps us feel in control of our lives.