HIGHLIGHTS OF THE MONTH

You made a new year resolution with aplomb to shrug off those unflattering inches. But you haven't yet clambered out of the chub rut. After all, you are working and have absolutely zero time to spare for the gym rat routine, forget hiring a personal trainer. Take heart. You can tap into the reservoir of household jobs to burn those callous calories. There are a slew of activities you pack into your week. Shopping for groceries at the supermarket and running after your tyke in and around the playground. Pour your energy into the calorie chomping chores with a vengeance and watch the inches melt away.

DUST BUSTERS

Flicking those dust particles off the shelves, furniture and knick knacks gets you to bend your booty the right way. You can keep those arms shapely by polishing woodwork for good measure. Make sure you reach out for the oft-ignored nooks, corners and crannies.

"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, it will have grease all over. Bring in the scrubbing of electronic appliances and tiles once a week into your schedule, employing an effective surface cleaner. But remember to encase your manicured hands in disposable gloves. "Go on the aggressive," says

Antara Sud, home maker. "Wiping the grime off fans helped me lose a good few inches when I begun my post partum get-slim routine."

TIP: 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 should you do it right. "Try lifting the heavy mattress to sweep the bed-sheet ears underneath, instead of simply stuffing the border of the sheet along the sides," suggests Urvashi Malik. "It gives me a curious 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 three times a week. And while you are at it, do remember to wrestle with the mattress and side wraps in the baby cot as well.

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

CLOTHES CARP

The next time don't groan and moan about your washerwoman playing hooky, thank her instead for making you do the laundry. Gathering dirty clothes, shoving the linen into the washing machine and loading the dryer helps to tone your thighs and improve flexibility. Of course, if you are blessed with a multi-storeyed habitat, the constant running up and down the stairs can serve as a neat aerobic workout. "There is no space to accommodate a dryer in my pigeon hole sized 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 a 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.

TIP: Perform the entire nitty-gritty on your own: from bending down to fish out the detergent to yanking open the dryer and opening the neighbouring windows.

SCORE CARD

If you thought that domestic calorie management comes across as infra dig, think again. It makes you keep your habitat clean. Says human resources specialist and mother of two Ritu Sharma, "There is no time for a gym routine. I need to wind up home chores and have a quick shower in the two hours my young one spends in playschool. Calorie crunching through cooking, tidying up and racing around my house come to

my rescue."

The best way to crunch those calories though is to sweep and swab, the traditional style, by using a broom and mop. "Carefully observe the figure of the bai in your house. She will have flat abs, great glutes and 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 off 2.5 kgs per month."

TIP: Wear ankle weights and wrist weights while sweeping or scrubbing the floors.

CALORIE COUNTER

?You can burn these calories during half an hour of

?Cooking (including standing and peeling, chopping veggetables):

120 to 150

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

?General housework (answering door bells, laying the table, running to answer phones, filling bottles): 120 to 150.

Clothes Carousel (ironing clothes, loading the washing machine, loading the dryer):180 to 210.

(Leena Mogre, Director, eena Mogre Fitness Academy)

FROM FLAB TO FAB

?Make use of a wax polish in a tin instead of a spray. You will need to rub much harder for a super shine.

?Create excuses for re-runs. Like stack the dishes in the sink, then run upstairs to do the dusting in the bedroom. Then downstairs to answer the doorbell.

?Knead the atta, wash the mixer, clean your fridge and spruce up your electrical chimney. Discover new ways to work in the kitchen rather than simply heating food in the microwave.

?Put on your favourite music and turn up the volume, it will help you polish and sweep that much harder.

(Shalini Bhargava, Director, JG Fitness Academy)

FACTOID:

According to a new survey by Discovery, many women find cleaning their homes mentally therapeutic and helps them feel in control of their lives.