Any form of physical activity is better than none, but doing your chores may not be enough to compensate for your lack of gym time. MedicalXpress reveals people who regularly do chores still remain heavier than most.

Researchers from the University of Ulster Sports Academy found that out of approximately 4,600 survey respondents, less than 43 percent believed that they met the recommended guidelines for exercise, and 11 to 73 percent of these individuals said that most of their exercise came from doing housework. Take away the dishes and the laundry, however, and only one out of five women would meet the standards.

"Housework is physical activity and any physical activity should theoretically increase the amount of calories expended," says lead author Professor Marie Murphy. “But we found that housework was inversely related to leanness, which suggests that either people are overestimating the amount of moderate intensity physical activity they do through housework, or are eating too much to compensate for the amount of activity undertaken.”

Although doing chores is a good way to exercise, it may not be enough to stop exercising altogether. Having the right kind of diet is also important in order to stay healthy.