Ladies fitness wear-clad women who feel reluctant to head out into the cold to work out should pick up the vacuum cleaner instead, as housework counts as a form of exercise, an expert has claimed.

Personal trainer Debbie Lawrence wrotein the Western Mail that walking and house work are both legible forms of exercise as they raise a person's heartbeat and cause slight breathlessness.

"Housework and walking can make a difference to your health and they also burn calories … Walking an extra 2,000 steps per day can boost calorie expenditure by 100 calories!" she explained.

She went on to advise people to invest in a pedometer, as this tool provides an easy way for a person to measure the number of steps they are taking and can help keep them motivated as they can set themselves targets.

Last week, a piece on the British Medical Journal's website by Mayer Hillman, senior fellow emeritus of the Policy Studies Institute at the University of Westminster in London, suggested that people need to start walking more as there is currently a trend towards declining fitness and an increase in obesity.

Posted by Tina Wilson ADNFCR-2569-ID-800208405-ADNFCR

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