Can You Shop Your Way to Fitness?
Have you ever come home from a long day of shopping, collapsed onto the sofa, and felt like you’ve just run a marathon? Your feet ache, your arms are sore from carrying bags, and you’re completely exhausted. It might make you wonder: Does all that effort actually count as a workout? Is shopping as exercise a real thing?
The short answer is yes, it absolutely can be. While it might not replace your structured gym sessions, a dedicated shopping trip involves a surprising amount of physical activity. Think about it: you’re walking, standing, carrying weights (those shopping bags!), and maybe even climbing stairs. All these actions burn calories and contribute to your daily fitness goals.
This guide will explore how you can turn your next shopping spree into a legitimate workout by using shopping as exercise. We’ll look at how many shopping calories you can burn, and provide practical tips for maximising the health benefits of walking while shopping. Get ready to see your favourite pastime in a whole new light.
The Surprising Science of Shopping as Exercise
At its core, exercise is any activity that gets your body moving and raises your heart rate. It doesn’t have to be a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) session or a five-mile run. The NHS recommends that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week. Moderate activity is anything that makes you breathe faster and feel warmer. So why wouldn’t shopping as exercise count?
Does shopping fit the bill? It certainly can. A brisk walk through a large shopping centre, a speedy trip around the supermarket, or even just carrying heavy bags from shop to shop can all elevate your heart rate and get you breathing a little harder. This type of activity is often called NEAT, or Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis. NEAT includes all the calories you burn from activities that aren’t formal exercise, like walking, fidgeting, and, yes, shopping.
While it may not feel like a traditional workout, the cumulative effect of these small movements can have a significant impact on your overall health and fitness. Every step you take and every bag you carry adds up, helping you burn calories and stay active.
How Many Calories Does Shopping Burn?
The number of shopping calories burned depends on several factors, including your weight, the intensity of your shopping, and how long you’re on your feet.
Here’s a general idea of what you can expect to burn per hour, based on a person weighing around 70kg (about 11 stone) using shopping as exercise:
- Casual Browsing: A slow, leisurely stroll through the shops might burn around 150-200 calories per hour. This is similar to a gentle walk.
- Purposeful Shopping: If you’re moving at a steady, moderate pace (think power-walking down the aisles), you could burn 200-250 calories per hour.
- Grocery Shopping: Pushing a heavy trolley and lifting items into it can increase the calorie burn to about 250-300 calories per hour.
- Carrying Heavy Bags: This adds a strength-training element. Carrying bags weighing around 7kg (about 15 pounds) can boost your calorie burn to over 300 calories per hour.
While these numbers might not seem huge compared to an intense gym session, they add up. A three-hour shopping trip could easily burn between 600 and 900 calories, that’s more than you’d burn in an hour-long spin class! So, shopping as exercise is actually worth it!
How to Turn Shopping into a Real Workout
If you want to make shopping as exercise a more intentional part of your fitness routine, you’re in luck. With a few simple adjustments, you can transform any shopping trip into a calorie-torching, muscle-toning activity. Here are eight practical tips to get you started.
1. Pick Up the Pace
The easiest way to increase your calorie burn is to walk faster. Instead of a leisurely saunter, aim for a brisk pace that gets your heart rate up. Treat the shopping centre corridors like your personal walking track when you go shopping as exercise.
- Set a Goal: Use a fitness tracker or your phone to monitor your steps and speed. Try to maintain a pace of at least 3 to 4 miles per hour (around 100 steps per minute).
- Take the Long Way: Instead of cutting through departments, walk around the entire perimeter of the store. This adds extra steps without you even realising it.
- Listen to Upbeat Music: Create a playlist of songs with a fast tempo. Research shows that listening to energetic music can make you walk faster and feel less tired.
2. Park Further Away
Don’t circle the car park for ten minutes looking for the closest spot. Intentionally park at the far end of the car park when you use shopping as exercise. This simple change forces you to walk further to and from the entrance, adding a few hundred extra steps to your trip. If you’re using public transport, get off one stop early and walk the rest of the way. Every little bit of extra walking while shopping helps.
3. Take the Stairs, Not the Lift
This is a classic fitness tip for a reason. Taking the stairs is a fantastic way to work your leg muscles (quads, hamstrings, and glutes) and get your heart pumping. Lifts and escalators are convenient, but they rob you of a great mini-workout. If you’re in a multi-level shopping centre, make it a rule to always use the stairs. If you’re carrying bags, even better, it adds resistance and makes the climb more challenging.
4. Make Your Bags Your Weights
Think of your shopping bags as dumbbells. Carrying them provides a great upper-body workout, toning your arms, shoulders, and back.
- Distribute the Weight Evenly: Carry a bag in each hand to work both sides of your body equally and avoid straining your back.
- Do Bicep Curls: As you walk, periodically bend your elbows and lift the bags towards your shoulders for a few bicep curls. Don’t worry about what people think; you’re multi-tasking!
- Switch Hands: Regularly swap the bags from one hand to the other to ensure you’re not overworking one side.
For grocery shopping, ditch the trolley for a basket. Carrying a basket, especially as it gets heavier, is a fantastic way to engage your arm and core muscles.
5. Incorporate Simple Exercises
You can sneak in some simple bodyweight exercises while you browse.
- Calf Raises: While you’re waiting in a queue or looking at a display, slowly rise up onto your tiptoes, hold for a second, and then lower your heels back down. Do 10-15 repetitions to strengthen your calf muscles.
- Lunges: If you have the space (and the confidence!), do a few walking lunges down an empty aisle. This is a great exercise for your legs and glutes.
- Squats: When you need to pick up an item from a low shelf, perform a proper squat. Keep your back straight, chest up, and lower your hips as if you’re sitting in a chair. This protects your back and strengthens your lower body.
6. Add Resistance with a Backpack
Instead of using multiple shopping bags, consider bringing a sturdy backpack. Placing your purchases in a backpack distributes the weight more evenly across your back and shoulders. This makes carrying heavier items easier and transforms your shopping trip into a form of rucking (walking with a weighted pack). Rucking is an excellent form of low-impact cardio that builds strength and endurance.
7. Stay Hydrated
Just like any other form of exercise, it’s important to stay hydrated while you go shopping as exercise. Carry a reusable water bottle with you and take sips throughout your trip. Dehydration can lead to fatigue and make you feel sluggish, which will sabotage your efforts to stay active. Drinking water also helps you feel full, which might just prevent you from making impulse purchases at the food court.
8. Plan Your Route Strategically
Before you even leave the house, plan your shopping trip like a workout session.
- Map it Out: If you’re visiting a large shopping centre, look at the map and plan a route that covers the most ground. Start at one end and work your way to the other to avoid backtracking.
- Split Up Your Trips: Instead of doing one massive weekly shop, consider making two or three smaller trips. This gives you more opportunities to be active throughout the week.
- Add a “Cool Down”: After you’ve finished your shopping, take a final, leisurely lap around the store or centre as a cool-down before heading home.
Your Shopping, Your Workout
Shopping as exercise is all about mindset. By making small, intentional choices, you can transform a routine chore or a fun pastime into a valuable part of your fitness journey. It proves that you don’t always need a gym or fancy equipment to stay active. Opportunities to move your body are all around you, even in the most unexpected places.
So, the next time you head to the shops, put on your comfy shoes, grab your water bottle, and get ready to shop your way to better health. Do you go shopping as exercise? Could you start doing it and use that as an excuse? Let me know in the comments below.
