Q: Do housecleaning and yard work burn calories? Which chores burn the most?

A: There's a misconception out there that it's not exercise unless you're at the gym wearing tight spandex and trotting along on the treadmill. Well I'm here to tell you that's simply not the case. Activities of daily living can provide health and fitness benefits too. But it depends on what activities you're doing, how hard, how long, and how often.

Pushing the vacuum and scrubbing dishes, windows, floors, and tubs can all turn on the sweat pumps. It's difficult to state exactly how many calories you'll burn, since there is no standardized housecleaning program. I've heard conservative estimates that you could burn anywhere from 100 to 300 calories per hour, perhaps even more depending on the intensity. In order to really see results, though, you'd have to scrub and vacuum several times per week! Any volunteers?

Yard work, on the other hand, takes it to another level. Get out there and push the lawnmower. And I don't mean the modern gas-powered variety. I mean the good old-fashioned mechanical kind where the blades only cut when you're pushing. Rake leaves in the fall or shovel snow in the winter. Get out in the garden. Hauling bags of compost or fertilizer will work your legs, hips, back, shoulders, and arms.

If you have been sedentary, check with your doctor before starting an exercise program. And as with all activities, it's a good idea to engage in a warm up before starting. I suggest a five to 10 minute walk around the neighborhood to limber up your muscles and joints. Always observe proper lifting technique. Bend at the knees and lift with your legs, not your back. Be sure to exhale as you lift, but do not strain while holding your breath. And don't forget to wear sunscreen!

Q: I've heard that I should use a pedometer to count my steps each day, and to try to go for 10,000 per day to keep fit. Have you ever heard of this, and do you think 10,000 steps a day would help maintain a good level of fitness? I'm kind of curious as to how many steps I cover in a day and am thinking about buying a pedometer.

A: I've been hearing quite a bit about pedometers over the past couple of years. I think the key benefit is that it allows you to track your leisure time activity, independent of structured exercise.

Like you, most people have no idea how many steps per day they're taking. So a device like this would be helpful for establishing an activity baseline. For example, if you're currently taking an average of 4,000 steps per day and not losing weight, the pedometer could help motivate you to become more active.

The Surgeon General's Report on Physical Activity and Health recommends 30 minutes per day of accumulated physical activity on most, preferably all, days of the week. Unfortunately, about half of all Americans do not meet these guidelines. About a third of the population is completely inactive. So I support anything that gets people off the couch or out from behind their desks.

Ten thousand steps per day might be a bit much for most people starting out, but it is certainly a viable goal. Go ahead and try a pedometer if you like. I suggest a gradual increase of about 5 to 10 percent per week, until you reach your goal. If you are a very active person that walks nearly 10,000 steps a day anyway, you need to up your steps to 18,000 to help you lose weight.