Believe it or not, gardening is very relaxing however it does work thehands, forearms, shoulders, back and leg muscles. It’s the perfect marriage for a healthy lifestyle inside and out.
Body Beautiful
Beautiful body, and a beautiful garden, it’s a double win. According to experts, 30 minutes of regular gardening can help lower sugar levels, control cholesterol and prevent high blood pressure and heart disease. What more could you want.
Burn those Calories
Heavy digging, raking, laying lawn, turning compost are the most strenuous gardening activities and can burn up to 300 to 400 calories a session.
Changing the type of garden tools you use can also influence the number of calories burnt and will also have cardiovascular benefits? For example, using a rake instead on a leaf blower, take extra long strides while raking or use short quick motions, and keep the rake close to your body, switch sides every 2 to 3 minutes; all this will increase calories burnt.
Use a push mower for a high intensity workout involving the whole body rather than a power mower giving a more moderate workout.
Get Down and Dig It
Weed your flower bed/vegetable patch rather than using herbicides
Garden Hand Tools
Weeding your flower beds/vegetable garden gives the legs, hips, buttocks, and hamstrings a moderate workout if you stoop while you weed. You can get greater effects if you exaggerate movements to work out key muscle groups, try tightening you glutes while bending to weed or transplant.
Use watering cans to water the garden rather than just pulling the hose over.
If the winter stops you working in the garden, think again. Shovelling snow provides a very heavy workout for the shoulders, arms, back, and legs. Please do not cheat by buying a snow blower.
Top Tips
- Always warm up before gardening.
- Avoid too much repetitive work as this can lead to injury.
- Avoid lifting anything too heavy.
- Watch out for sunburn and dehydration.
- Look out for ergonomic gardening tools, extended handles, handles with padding etc.
- Alternate sides so that the body benefit is equal.
- Finally, don’t overfill your glass after you have finished!
For those of you with no injuries/weakness and want a heavier workout, wear wrist and ankle weights to increase calories burned.
Gardening should not be a chore but a fun workout without evenknowing about it.
Here is a great selection of Garden Hand Tools to help you keep fit.
