Get fit with a spring spruce-up

Spring is officially here. As the cabin fever wanes, thoughts turn to fixing up the house and whittling down the waistline.The great news is that you can do both at the same time. By CAROL McCARTHY

Sprucing up a room with a fresh coat of paint will have both your home and your waist looking better in no time. Doing just one room will brighten your spirits, save money, speed your metabolism, trim inches and bust stress. Then you can enjoy a new room and a new you.

You don’t have to completely remodel a room to make a big difference. Simply changing the color, or painting an accent wall, and rearranging the furniture can make it seem like a whole new room.

The size and extent of your makeover will determine the intensity and duration of your workout. If you have a big project in mind, such as tackling several rooms, you could even invite a friend to share in your workout and then return the favor, sprucing up your friendship, your bodies and your homes.

Prep Work

Prepping the room is about 75 percent of the work. Start by removing as much furniture from the room as possible. Put anything you can’t take out in the center of the room and cover with an old sheet or lightweight plastic.

Take down all pictures, shelves, light fixtures and switch plates. Remove any wallpaper or border with a putty knife. You can ease your task (while building forearm and grip strength) by filling a squirt bottle with a 40/60 mixture of fabric softener and water and spraying the walls evenly. Let set for a few minutes before you scrape.

Peel paper from floor to ceiling, starting in a squat position and moving through to your tip-toes to build leg strength in your quads and calves, as well as improve balance and coordination. Check the walls for imperfections and holes. Fill what you find with spackle and sand the areas down when they dry.

Once everything is removed and smooth, make sure all surfaces are clean. Start at the top of the room by vacuuming any cobwebs or dust from the ceiling. Then use a damp sponge to wash down the walls. Use exaggerated circular movements, both clockwise and counterclockwise, to build up muscle in your chest, shoulders and arms. Switch arms often to keep both right and left evenly proportioned. Stand in one position and reach as far as you can to stretch the muscles as they work.

Vacuum the floor and cover it with a sturdy drop cloth, then tape over any trim, doors and windows to avoid splatter.

Ready, Set, Roll!

The most popular method of applying paint is the roller technique. Again, you’ll want to start with the ceiling first. Using a color-changing paint helps to detect any missed spots as you apply white paint.

Rolling over your head will quickly whip your shoulders and biceps into shape. Be sure to keep abdominals tight and avoid arching backwards. Switching your lead arm will help to balance out your workout, and thinking about how good you’ll look in that halter top will keep you going.

Get as close to the walls as you can with the roller, and then get out the brush to edge in the rest. When you begin the walls, start with the edging at the ceiling and then pick your roller back up again. Do a few bicep curls and shoulder shrugs with the paint cans, stretch a bit and get to work.

When applying color, the best method is not to paint straight up and down. Rolling diagonally to the left and then right will apply a smoother finish and work your abdominals at the same time. Start at about hip level on your right side and roll up to the left at shoulder level, then back and switch. Use a ladder for higher spots, and get down on your knees for the lower sections. Depending on your original shade and the desired final shade, you may have to apply two coats.

Remove the tape and paint the trim carefully with a brush. The fluid up-and-down or side-to-side motions of brush painting will give your arms and shoulders a great workout.

Voila! When everything is dry, it’s time to move the furniture again. Adjust the placement to create a new flow for your old room. Hang up your shelves and pictures, and you’ve got a new room!

You may be sore for a few days, but showing off your shoulders in those tank tops will definitely make up for it.

Calories burned per hour*

Vacuuming: 204
Moving furniture: 408
Removing wallpaper: 206
Sanding: 306
Washing walls: 204
Painting ceiling: 210
Painting walls: 204

* Based on a 150-pound woman
– www.caloriesperhour.com

Carol McCarthy is a freelance writer who lives in East Rochester.