VIA: www.primusweb.com/fitnesspartner/calculat.htm

We visited the Fitness Partner website to calculate how many calories a 160-lb. person could burn doing some super-common holiday-time activities. (Click here to figure out the exact numbers for your body weight!)

Spending all your time cleaning in preparation for houseguests, party-goers, and annoying neighbors who just want to re-gift a fruitcake? Half an hour of general house cleaning burns about 110 calories, and the same amount of time spent vacuuming burns around 130 cals. And if you have trouble convincing yourself to shovel the driveway, know that a half-hour of that will burn about 220 calories. (Don’t forget your snow boots!)

Running around prepping a meal? Food shopping will burn about 85 calories in half an hour. And once you get home, moving around the kitchen and cooking will burn around 140 calories an hour. Yet another reason to do the work yourself.

Got a house of buzzing kids “full of holiday cheer”? Consider this: A half-hour of high-energy playing with the kids will burn about 180 calories, the same amount as a half-hour of low-impact aerobics. Going sledding or ice skating for 30 minutes burns the same 255 calories or so as 30 minutes of moderate cycling on a stationary bike. Reading, watching TV, or sleeping, however, won’t burn more than about 35 calories per half-hour.

Think about all those extra calories you are taking in, and how to burn them off!