Often, the stress of holiday activities leads us to neglect our need for daily exercise. It seems that as our food intake at holiday parties increases, our time at the gym declines. Balancing calories in with calories out is easier said than done during the holiday season. 

As I reviewed all the things that are keeping me busy and away from the gym, I wondered if my holiday-related activities could count toward my daily exercise goal. For example, today I spent time rearranging furniture to make room for the Christmas tree and pounding the sidewalk at the mall searching for the perfect gifts for those on my list.

Well, there is good news and bad about that! While all of our extra activity counts, we need to remember that aerobic activity that gets your heart pumping faster is best. Although I was tired after a long day of shopping, it did not have the same effect as 30 minutes of brisk walking or doing aerobics at the gym. Unfortunately, even though rearranging the furniture helped me meet my holiday preparation goals, it didn't take me 30 minutes!

It all comes down to calories burned. Check out how much you'd burn doing the activities below, which are approximate for a 150-pound person for 30 minutes:

• Aerobics                              200
• Rearranging Furniture             225
• Grocery Shopping                  125
• Preparing Dinner                     75
• Housecleaning                       125