The relocation reality

HIDDEN TOLL: MOVING HOUSE BURNS MORE CALORIES THAN A MARATHON

- Hein Kaiser

Boxes. Packing. Unpacking. Heavy Lifting. Moving house is not for sissies. It ranks as one of the most stressful events in anyone's life and, to boot, it's not just emotional upheaval. It's a physical workout unlike any other.

A study from British gym chain PureGym found that moving house is the equivalent of running two marathons.

The research calculated the weight, distance and effort involved in relocating an average home and compared the energy burn to popular workouts. The results were rather surprising.

A two-bedroom house move can burn 5 206 calories, the same as running two marathons, while carrying furniture out of a four-bedroom home equals 14 hours of spin class. Even a small one-bedroom flat clocks up more than 3 000 calories, roughly 13 hours of weightlifting.

The study also showed that more than 70% of people said moving house left them physically drained, and one in five admitted they were completely unprepared for how tough it would be.

Personal trainer Alvin Walter from PureGym created the Moving House Boot Camp to help people prepare, because he said most people underestimate just how physical the experience is.