Episode 57Apr 8, 2026· 7:10

Your Chores Count: The Science of Everyday Movement with Physiotherapy Researcher Sunaina Chopra

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About this episode

Physiotherapy researcher Sunaina Chopra discusses non-conventional physical activity — gardening, household chores, playing with children and pets — as evidence-backed alternatives to structured gym exercise. She references a Lancet community gardening study (reduced stress, increased activity over 2.5 years) and a 12-week housework vs. exercise study showing equivalent fitness outcomes. She also cites research on…

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Who this episode is for

This episode may resonate with you if:

You're a healthcare or wellness professional trying to help patients who say they 'don't have time to exercise' — and you need evidence-based framing to reframe what counts as physical activity.

You work in a corporate wellness or HR role and you're looking for low-barrier movement messaging that doesn't assume employees have gym access or a structured fitness routine.

You're a fitness coach or personal trainer whose clients keep dropping off because they miss sessions and then feel like they've 'failed' — and you want a concrete way to shift that all-or-nothing thinking.

You're a researcher or student in kinesiology, physiotherapy, or public health looking for accessible ways to communicate your field's findings to a general audience.

You're a parent or caregiver who has basically stopped exercising because your schedule is built around other people's needs, and you're wondering if anything you already do counts.

What you’ll learn

Replace 'did I work out?' with 'how did I move today?'

Count household chores as a legitimate substitute for structured exercise

Use gardening as a full-body movement session

Add small intentional movements on top of everyday tasks you're already doing

Questions this episode helps answer

Does housework count as exercise?

answered

Sunaina cites a 12-week study finding that housework was just as effective as traditional exercise for maintaining, if not improving, fitness — making it a legitimate form of physical activity, not a consolation prize.

"and found that housework was just as effective for maintaining, if not improving, fitness. And that's a really big deal, especially for people who feel like they don't have enough time to carve out a separate workout in their day. And"

Is gardening actually good exercise?

answered

Sunaina points out that gardening involves squatting, lifting, digging, and reaching — 'a full body movement' — and cites a Lancet study showing it increased physical activity while also reducing stress and anxiety levels.

"looks like. Thinking about gardening, it might not feel like a workout, but you're squatting, lifting, digging, reaching. It's a full body movement. And research backs this up a lot. A"

How do I stay active when I have no time to work out?

answered

Sunaina's framing is that movement doesn't have to be structured or time-consuming to be meaningful — if you're overwhelmed or short on time, everyday activity like chores, gardening, or playing with kids already counts.

"are feeling overwhelmed, short on time or funds, or not just motivated to be outside with all of your busy life, this is your sign to think differently. Your walk with your dog counts. Your time spent gardening counts. Cleaning your"

How do I stop feeling bad about missing a workout?

answered

Sunaina suggests swapping the thought 'I didn't work out today' for the question 'how did I move today?' — because chances are you did more than you think, and that's something to be proud of.

"yourself thinking, I didn't work out today, maybe pause and ask, how did I move today? Because chances are you did more than you think, and that's something to be really proud of."

Why do I feel like my movement doesn't count if it wasn't at the gym?

answered

Sunaina says we've been conditioned to think of exercise as only structured activity — 'lifting weights for a certain amount of reps, running on a treadmill for a certain amount of time' — but non-conventional physical activity can be just as beneficial.

"to think of exercise as something structured, like lifting weights for a certain amount of reps, running on a treadmill for a certain amount of time, or playing sports. And while those are really great ways to be active, they're not the"

Setting expectations: This episode is not about gym programming, workout science, or how to structure an exercise routine. It's a short voice note from a physiotherapy PhD student making the case that gardening, vacuuming, and walking the dog already count as physical activity — backed by a couple of studies — followed by the host reacting and riffing on the same idea.

Tone & style

The episode opens with the assumption that exercise only counts if it's structured (gym, treadmill, sports), then uses Lancet and 12-week housework research to challenge that belief, landing on a reframe: swap 'did I work out today?' for 'how did I move today?' — with the resolution that everyday movement counts and can be intentionally nudged upward with small additions.

Research-backed claims from a physiotherapy PhD student, supplemented by Ashley's personal experience. Studies are cited but not linked or fully detailed — treat as informed overview, not clinical guidance.

toneWarm & encouraging

focusSunaina Chopra argues — with research citations — that gardening, housework, and playing with kids or pets count as real physical activity, and Ashley builds on that by suggesting small ways to intentionally add a bit more movement to those everyday tasks.

stylecasual_chat

energymedium

complexitybeginner

pressure Levellow

emotional Texturereassuring, validating, enthusiastic

Notable quotes

"a question. Have you ever felt like if you can't make it to the gym, your physical activity for the day just doesn't count? If that sounds familiar,"

— Sunaina Chopra

"exercise to household activity over 12 weeks"

— Sunaina Chopra

"health and well -being. So next time you catch yourself thinking, I didn't work out today, maybe pause and ask, how did I move today? Because"

— Sunaina Chopra

"to do it a specific way. If you get too hung up in the specifics and you and you force yourself to like only do certain things to consider it counting, then you might not move your body at all. And that's the whole point is I want you"

— Famous Ashley Grant

Episode transcript

Organized into 4 chapters — open any part to read the full text.

0:001. Intro and Sunaina's Voice NoteHost Famous Ashley Grant introduces the episode and hands it over to a voice note from Sunaina Chopra, a physiotherapy and PhD student at UBC.0:202. Rethinking What Counts as Physical ActivitySunaina challenges the idea that exercise only counts if it's structured — like gym sessions or treadmill runs — and introduces the concept of non-conventional physical activity like gardening, household chores, and playing with kids or pets, citing research from The Lancet and a 12-week housework study.1:583. Sunaina's Takeaway: Movement That Fits Your LifeSunaina wraps up by encouraging listeners to ask 'how did I move today?' instead of 'did I work out?' and affirms that dog walks, gardening, and cleaning all contribute to health.4:214. Ashley's Reaction and Practical SuggestionsAshley reflects on Sunaina's message, shares her own experience moving at home during Snowmageddon, and suggests small ways to add movement to everyday tasks — like extra squats while gardening or a jumping jack challenge with kids.

Open full transcript

Mentioned in this episode

personSunaina Chopra

Physiotherapy and PhD student at UBC who sent a voice note arguing that everyday activities like gardening, chores, and playing with pets count as meaningful physical activity.

organizationUniversity of British Columbia

The Vancouver, Canada institution where Sunaina Chopra is pursuing her dual physiotherapy and PhD program.

websitefamousashleygrant.com/fit

Ashley's website where listeners can submit voice notes about their fitness journeys or react to episodes.

studyThe Lancet community garden study

A study published in The Lancet that followed people involved in a community garden over about two and a half years, finding they became more physically active and experienced lower stress and anxiety.

Key themes

Gym-or-nothing thinking

Sunaina opens by naming the feeling that if you can't make it to the gym, your physical activity for the day 'just doesn't count,' framing this as a widespread but mistaken belief the episode pushes back on.

Non-conventional physical activity

Sunaina introduces the term 'non-conventional physical activity' to describe everyday movement — gardening, housework, playing with kids or pets — and argues it can be just as beneficial as structured exercise.

Research backing everyday movement

Sunaina cites a Lancet community garden study and a 12-week housework-versus-exercise study to support the claim that gardening and chores produce real physical and mental health benefits.

Gardening as full-body movement

Sunaina uses gardening as a concrete example — squatting, lifting, digging, reaching — and ties it to the Lancet study showing reduced stress and anxiety alongside increased physical activity.

Playing with kids and pets as exercise

Sunaina points to dog walking and playing with kids as movement that accumulates, noting research showing children who walk dogs are significantly more likely to meet physical activity recommendations.

Asking 'how did I move today?' instead of 'did I work out?'

Sunaina proposes replacing the question 'I didn't work out today' with 'how did I move today?' as a reframe that lets people recognize movement they're already doing.

Movement that fits your life

Both Sunaina and Ashley emphasize that movement doesn't have to be structured, time-consuming, or gym-based — it just has to fit into the life you're actually living, especially for people who are overwhelmed, short on time, or short on funds.

Rigidity stopping movement altogether

Ashley warns that getting too hung up on whether something 'counts' as a real workout can result in not moving at all, which she frames as the opposite of the podcast's whole point.

Stacking movement onto existing tasks

Ashley suggests adding small physical challenges to things already happening — extra squats while gardening, an extra lap while walking the dog, a jumping jack contest with kids — rather than carving out separate workout time.

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