Gardening is Good Exercise!

Turn Your Garden Into a Natural Gym-Gardening is Good Exercise!

Gardening is fabulous exercise because it incorporates many of the components of a moderate to intense fitness routine, such as stretching, repetition moves and even the resistance principles similar to lifting weights. As you cultivate your garden you’re also reducing stress, lowering blood pressure and cholesterol and burning calories.
You’ll also be improving your balance and flexibility, keeping your mind sharp, increasing your energy, stamina and strengthening your heart---overall improving your quality of life!

A person who weighs about 150 pounds and spends at least 30 minutes a day performing moderate to intense gardening can burn 150-200 calories. Of course this isn’t just standing there watering the flowers, but weeding, digging, hoeing, raking, etc. As you garden many different muscle groups are being used. Squatting, bending and lifting works your glutes, hamstrings, thighs, core and back muscles. Lifting and reaching, pushing and pulling works your upper body, some lower body muscle groups and your mid-section. Being outdoors preparing the soil, weeding and planting in your garden help you achieve a meditative state which is good for the brain, helps sharpen memory and relaxes the mind while you forget about the normal stresses and anxiety of everyday life.

Gardening Exercise Tips:

• Begin with a simple warm up exercise (stroll around your garden a few times.)
• Stretch a few minutes and take breaks to stretch between heavy gardening tasks.
• Focus on breathing deeply and make sure you don’t hold your breath during strenuous activities.
• Alternate limbs (ex: when raking put your left foot forward and use left hand on the lower part of the handle, switch foot/hand periodically.)
• When lifting bend your knees and keep your back straight.
• Vary your gardening duties, don’t overdo any specific task.
• Listen to your body, avoid any activity that is painful.
• Take breaks whenever needed and stay hydrated.
• Aim for at least 30 minutes of gardening in the beginning. This can be broken up into smaller 10 or 15 minute sessions.
• Take some time to smell the roses!

Typical Calories Burned During 30 Minutes of Gardening:
(based on 150 pound person)

• Mowing the lawn with a push-mower --250
• Planting trees--200
• Weeding--200
• Watering the lawn--70
• Raking --165
• Clearing land--235
• Bagging leaves--170
• Chopping wood--275
• Digging, tilling--220

And by comparison:
*Watching TV--35
*Sleeping--36



Add These Exercises To Your Regular Gardening Sessions To Create a Challenging Workout Routine and Maximize Your Health Benefits:

• Add 15-20 squats during weeding.
• Use a crate or low bench to do alternating step-ups. Keep shoulders back, chest lifted and abs pulled in. Do 20 each leg or alternate legs for a total of 40.
• Do 10-20 Triceps dips using edge of a bench or low wall. (Sit on edge of bench, hands placed under your butt, fingers pointed forward, feet firmly on ground. Slide butt off the bench and bend elbows to lower and lift your body, keep your chest lifted and shoulders down.)
• Using the edge of a bench or wall do 15-20 push-ups. (you can do intervals spaced out---3 sets of 5-8.)
• Enjoy the peace and beauty of your garden while doing several simple yoga poses such as mountain pose, or tree pose.
• Meditate. Find a nice place to sit comfortably, close your eyes, breath slowly and deeply and let your mind rest for several minutes. Notice the sounds of nature all around you, the smell of the flowers, grass and earth.

All of the above exercises can be repeated several times during your gardening session for a more intensive workout.
Allow a day of rest between this routine, especially if you feel sore the next day!

Study after study shows us that if you enjoy the exercise activity, you’ll probably stick with it. Gardening is not just good exercise, it’s fun, fulfilling, and relaxing. When done regularly you’ll not only yield a beautiful, healthy garden, but a healthier you, as well.

HERE ARE SOME COOL GARDEN GOODIES!