Housework-based exercise versus conventional exercise on health-related fitness of adolescent learners

Abstract

Background and Study Aim. There is a void in the literature comparing the fitness effects of housework-based exercise (HBE) and conventional exercise (CE), including studies that adapt housework into an exercise program. This study examines the effectiveness of HBE and CE on adolescent learners' health-related fitness (HRF) and compares the effectiveness of the two exercises.
 Material and Methods. This study uses a parallel-group, randomized controlled trial with 120 adolescent learners; 60 are in the HBE group, and 60 are in the CE group. The participants in the HBE group exercised using housework activities, while the participants in the CE group exercised by doing push and pull, squats, lunges, leaps and jumps, planks, etc. The participants in both groups trained for at least an hour every weekday for 12 weeks under the supervision of qualified fitness instructors.
 Results. The findings show that HBE improves the fitness levels of adolescent learners, albeit it has no significant improvement in their BMI. Furthermore, HBE significantly improves the cardiorespiratory fitness of females more than males. Finally, CE outperforms the HBE in producing more significant and favorable fitness effects.
 Conclusions. When planned, implemented, and monitored carefully as an exercise program, doing housework is just as good as doing traditional exercise for keeping or improving adolescent learners’ fitness. Furthermore, the findings indicate that HBE may be more appropriate for females because it involves household-related tasks that they traditionally perform.However, CE produces more positive and significant fitness effects. Thus, teachers can use HBE in the remote exercise activities of their learners along with CE.