Little things can add up to big results. If you are trying to lose weight – or maintain weight loss – adding in some extra, everyday activities can help burn off the calories. The list below is a dozen everyday activities showing the calories burned in 30 minutes by a 150 pound person. Not all activities will take 30 minutes (or 30 consecutive minutes), but keep doing these things each and every day, and they will add up.

• Raking lawn – 149

• Folding laundry – 72

• Food shopping, with cart – 130

• Weeding garden – 172

• Playing with kids, moderate effort – 149

• Heavy cleaning; wash car, windows – 167

• Mowing lawn; push, power – 167

• Dusting – 80

• Cleaning rain gutters – 186

• Vacuuming – 84

• Stair Climbing, normal speed – 237

• Strolling – 103

• Bathing dog – 119

Want to look up an activity you often do? Try the Activity Calculator at Discovery Health; you enter your weight, click on the activity, then enter the number of minutes. The estimated calories burned will appear.

So, get out there and get busy!