Whether you are a man or woman, old or young, housework, also known as “women’s work,” can add years to one’s life. Researchers concluded that simple, daily household chores like doing the dishes or folding laundry can help people extend their lives.
The study looked at 6,000 older women between the ages of 63 to 99 in the US. Head author Michael LaMonte of the State University of New York in Buffalo, examined these women who performed 30 minutes of light physical activities every day, as measured with an accelerometer.
LaMonte’s conclusion was that the women performing this light housework for only 30 minutes each day had a 12 percent smaller risk of death than women who did nothing during the day.
“Doing something is better than nothing, even when at lower-than-guideline recommended levels of physical activity,” LaMonte concluded. Light physical work include folding clothes, seeping the floor or washing windows.
The statistics improve as the chores become more difficult. When older women engage in moderate to heavy physical activity each day they had a 39 percent lower risk of death. Vigorous activity includes brisk walking, and leisurely biking.
LaMonte noted that the study was conducted on older women, but of course his study applies to everyone. No matter what your age, physical activity is like a fountain of youth. Its good to know that merely folding socks or washing up the dishes achieves so much more than just keeping the house clean and organized.
