We know how hard it can be to try to fit working out into your daily routine when you have a busy schedule! We also know that it can be easy to get unmotivated or bored when you are doing the same activities or routines repeatedly.
Sometimes we really don’t feel like working out. Sometimes we’d rather do other productive things that don’t involve running and jumping and burpees. You can still burn some calories, sweat, and get your heart rate up without even realizing it’s kind of like a workout. Here are some of our favorite less traditional ways to sneak in a workout even on our busiest days.
We put the activities to the test and monitored how many calories we burnt while tackling our SoStonedCo toked to-do list!
Spend a Few Hours Canna-Cleaning
On its own cleaning can be dull, but it has to be done. The silver lining of doing deep cleaning is that it is an effective home workout, in fact, the American Heart Association counts housework as moderate exercise.
While we were testing how effective cleaning could be for getting a cardio-sesh in we did the dishes, wiped down counters, cleaned the dining table, straightened the couch, put things away, made the bed, vacuumed, mopped, cleaned the bathroom mirrors, counters, and toilets, you know, a full-on CLEANING. The more you clean the better!
This is also a great time to do a deep clean of your workout room/space. It is easy to forget to clean this area regularly especially after an intense workout, but if you think about all the dirt, sweat, and bacteria that can build up and leave a nasty residue on your mat, it's not something you want to forget. You may want to have some natural disinfecting spray with something like vinegar, alcohol, or tea tree to keep bacteria away after each use, but that’s not actually cleaning the mat of sweat and grime. At least once a month, give it a good cleaning with water and soap (We love Dr. Bronner's natural soaps) using a sponge, rag, or even an old shirt. Make sure not to go overboard with the soap leaving it a slippery mess. A little goes a long way. We definitely worked up a sweat scrubbing at our yoga mats, so we know we were burning quite a few calories. Once the mat is clean and dry I like to spritz it with my yoga mat spray so it’s fresh for the next use. At least we know a dirty yoga mat means it’s being used! So that’s a good thing!
We definitely stopped to take a few hits in between our cleaning activities which made tackling the list enjoyable. Once we had finished we had burned over 500 calories! That’s more than some of our workout routines AND the house was clean? While it isn't necessarily easy to get excited to clean, it does feels really good to live in a clean place, plus you didn’t have to do a single push-up. While we wouldn't recommend doing deep cleaning as your main workout routine, it is definitely a good way to fit a workout in on days where you can't find time to get to the mat. (Need some help with cleaning house: check out our Tips on How to Tackle Your Chore List).
Burn even more by incorporating "traditional" exercise moves into your cleaning routine (i.e. squatting when putting things away or lunging while you vacuum). You can also blast your favorite tunes (check out SoStonedCo's Cleaning Kit Playlist) and dance while you clean to get grooving.
Get your Green Thumb On By Gardening
Gardening is not only incredibly beneficial for mental well-being but is also considered as a moderate exercise by the American Heart Association. No matter the size of your garden, from the balcony to gorgeous and vast backyards there are easy ways to get a great workout in your home garden. According to nutritionists at Loughborough University, mowing, digging, and planting for two to three hours can help burn off up to one pound a week.
We have a balcony garden and tracked our caloric burn while we trimmed, watered, and fed our plants, which altogether took about an hour. Once we had finished we had burned around 350 calories! This burn will definitely depend on the size and activities specific to your garden space.
We love to incorporate cannabis into our gardening session, by toking up before we start, there is something incredibly peaceful and rewarding about being in nature and watching your hard work bloom. Gardening is also tied to stress relief, immunity boost, brain health and is a way to get some delicious, fresh, and safely grown healthy food to bring into our next activity cooking!
Heat Things Up In The Kitchen
Cooking burns about 250-300 calories per hour for the average person. Bring in some fresh herbs from the garden, turn on your favorite cooking music, and have fun being creative while prepping a healthy meal! We will be sharing some of our favorite healthy canna-meal recipes in the near future if you need some inspiration!
After cooking up rice, roasted vegetables, and taziki (We love Canna-Connections Cannabis-infused recipe) and doing the dishes we had burnt around 150 calories!
You can ramp up the heat by sneaking in traditional exercises while you're cooking! We love doing calf raises while we are stirring or chopping, dancing while we are waiting for things to boil or cook, and squatting as we pick things up. Clean as you go and you will be eating a delicious treat with a clean kitchen before you know it.
Ganja Gaming
There are so many active-play games on the market right now, our personal favorite is Beat Saber, we have burnt up to 500 calories within an hour while playing. Smoke or eat your favorite canna-treat before playing to have an even more stimulating session.
Research has shown that fitness games can offer the same benefits as more traditional exercises. They can also have benefits in coordination, stress, and problem-solving skills.
On top of all of the physical and mental benefits, gaming can help connect with friends and meet people while we are all stuck at home right now!
Take a Walk
We know walking can definitely feel like a workout and the lazy voice in your head probably says I don’t want to walk around, I wanna chill! Hear us out though. Do you go to a theme park and get too lazy to walk? Or do you walk around the whole day enjoying yourself only to realize at the end of the day your body is exhausted from so much walking?
With a good enough distraction, we don’t have to think of it as a workout. Shopping all day is one way to distract yourself while walking but could end up costing you a lot of money. Maybe don’t do that one too often...lol. Sometimes it can be fun to just explore the area you live in or explore a pretty area with lots of nature. It’s a good way to clear your head and boost your mood as well. It’s fun with a buddy or a dog but if you’re alone, having a good walking playlist and getting stoned can definitely make you forget you’re exercising. We burnt 200 calories on a pretty flat trail at the park and definitely felt rejuvenated!
Get Faded & Frisky
Hooking up can be a full-body workout! Be it a solo adventure or a group workout spending time in the bedroom can definitely get that heart rate up!
Although a solo-session won't replace the caloric burn of a gym session it has been tied to increased blood flow, pain relief, tension release, decreasing stress levels, and beyond! The University of Montreal found that women burned an average of 69 calories during 30 minutes of sexual activity, while men burned 101, burning an average of 3.6 calories per minute.
While it won't burn the most calories, it can still be a fun way to sneak an extra 70-100 into your daily burn. Sex has also been tied to lower rates of certain cancers, improved mental health, and mood, and better sleep. So light up your favorite sexy strain and have some fun!
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