Friday, April 8, 2011

Burn Calories Composting?

Well, its quickly approaching swimsuit season and everybody I know wants to lose weight (well, except for those few annoying skinnies who “try to put on weight and just can’t.” …..boo-hoo). I’ve gained 40 pounds in the last nine months (with good reason) but now I’m ready to shed those extra pounds and composting is going to help. Really.

Turning your compost bin adds oxygen to the decomposing matter which helps the aerobic bacteria (the good guys) speed up the decomposition process. The more you turn your bin, the faster you have finished compost. It just so happens that the turning action also burns calories- at a rate of 5 to 7.5 calories per minute!

You can use a special compost turner, a pitchfork, a shovel, even a stick to work air into the pile. And you can be doubly happy that you’re composting faster while making yourself healthier. Trim your waste while trimming your waist (ha,ha…see what I did there?).

I figure if I turn my pile for 10 minutes twice per week for the next three months, I’ll burn 1,800 calories. Every little bit helps, right? Now if I can just get my stationary bike to help me recycle….

Please don’t take the advice of a silly composter as medical advice- get a doctor’s opinion.

Labels: Composting Tips

3 comments:

  1. You go girl! But don't forget to add the calories burned by raking leaves (275 calories per hour), hauling compost (245 calories per hour) and shovelling compost into the wheelbarrow (381 calories per hour).

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