Housework good for you?

Many fraught housewives may not agree, but new research has suggested that housework could actually be good for mental health.

University College London (UCL) asked almost 20,000 respondents to the Scottish Health Survey how much exercise they did per week and of what type.

The study found that only 20 minutes of housework per week can help to alleviate mental stress, while exercising for longer periods can help moods further.

In the Scottish Health Survey, it was discovered that 3,000 people reported feeling stressed or anxious, a factor that could be reduced simply by walking, which the survey said could reduce stress by 20 per cent.

However, the exercise must be fairly strenuous, with only the more moderate activities resulting in an improvement in moods.

Mark Hamer of UCL told the BBC that the causes could be difficult to distinguish.

"It is a chicken and egg issue as those who suffer from stress or anxiety may be less likely to take part in physical activity in the first place," he said.

Earlier this week, it was reported that research from the University of Michigan has discovered that husbands create an extra seven hours of housework per week for women.