Ouch! As I sit and type this today, my legs are begging for some ice. While visiting a friend in Boulder, CO over the weekend we ventured up to just over 13,000 feet to the summit of James Peak. 14 miles later and my body is wondering what it did to deserve that sort of abuse. The weather was perfect and the views over towards Winter Park resort, sprinkled with the vibrant yellows of the Aspen trees changing their colors for fall, were breathtaking. This time of year I tend to start shifting gears (pun intended) from cycling to hiking. The parking lots at the trailheads start to thin out, as do the swarms of bugs around your head as you make your way up the trail. I also simply love being in the woods in the late fall and winter, so the change in activity suits me just fine.

One thing I "learn" every year is that the muscles used for cycling and hiking are significantly different. I can go on my typical 50 – 60 mile ride on a Saturday and not feel any soreness the following day. But when I try to do that coming off a winter and spring of hiking, snowshoeing and backcountry skiing, my body reminds me of the truth. I suppose that is why cross training took off a few years ago. The goal being to keep the body guessing as to which muscle group is being exploited on any given day. That way you are ready for any activity that comes up.

Another lesson I've learned is that daily exercise (or activity) is more beneficial to the body and our health than just being a weekend-warrior. If we can find a way to increase our heart rates on a daily basis, even if only for 30 minutes or so, that is a better way to get in or maintain our conditioning. Today I'd like to look at a few things that we can do, just around the house, which can help us with that 30-minute goal. Perhaps the next time a friend asks you to go on a hike (up to over twice the height of Mount Washington!) you'll be better prepared than I. For those of you using those step counter devices, these should help you reach your daily goals on those as well.

Not everyone has loads of carpet in their homes, but vacuuming is a fantastic way to get things started. Not only are you using your arms, shoulders, back and legs but you are moving around the house, climbing stairs and even pushing around furniture to get the job done. I have always enjoyed vacuuming, mostly because of the satisfaction it provides with a consistent looking carpet. Yes, I'm guilty of creating patterns in the rug while I'm at it as well - anything to make the chore more fun.

I have never been a big fan of vacuuming the tile or hardwood floors. It always felt more like I was just moving the dirt around rather than actually making the floor any cleaner. My preference is using a damp mop (or Swiffer if you prefer) and getting the floor sparkling clean that way. While not nearly as "active" as vacuuming, you are still using your upper body and possibly even moving the dining room table and chairs around as well.

Bathrooms are next. I don't know about you, but I always tend to work up a sweat cleaning the bathrooms. We currently have 3 full baths in our home and one half-bath. The shower scrubbing alone is a sweat-inducing project. Add to that crawling around behind the commode, wiping the floors (too small for a mop in my opinion) and cleaning the mirrors all contribute to quite a workout. This one is mostly upper body as you're typically spending most of the project on your knees. I also try to be efficient with this and will spray cleaner in all of the bathrooms first and then circle my way back to do the actual scrubbing. This keeps the scenery changing and keeps me moving around the house a bit more.

"Cleaning windows, although not a very fun task for most of us, is a great way to burn some calories and tackle an unpleasant project at the same time," notes Badger Peabody & Smith Realty (formerly Badger Realty) agent, Deirdre Braun. "If you happen upon a nice day, you can do inside and out and enjoy the fall weather while you work," she continued. Deirdre is right. If you are not fortunate enough to have windows that fold indoors, a crisp fall day is a great time to work inside and out to get those windows sparkling. Having a partner tackle the same windows on the other side also makes this much more fun (and efficient).

The last task we'll chat about today is grocery shopping. Although seemingly a bit mundane, don't lose sight of the fact that you are walking, bending, lifting and generally moving around for the better part of an hour or more. Once you get home you are doing the same motions all over again as you put everything away. You could even expand this a bit and make sure that where you are putting away these new groceries is tidied up and clean as well. This is a great time to clean off that shelf in the pantry before loading it up with more goods.

I don't think anyone really enjoys cleaning the house. Perhaps thinking of it as a workout and a simple, effective way to get your heart rate up and burn a few calories will help make it a touch more attractive. At the very least, you will have a clean home and a full pantry once all is said and done. Perhaps now that you have a clean house and a full kitchen, this is the perfect time to cook up some nachos and watch some football! Maybe this weekend the Pats will play a little better!?