Are you fortunate enough to have a garden or a good size yard? If so, you probably enjoy spending time in the garden or doing some kind of yard work. It’s a great way to de-stress after a long day at work.
Aside from the benefits of relieving stress, growing healthy food, having beautiful plants or a well manicured yard, you can use gardening and/or yard work to stay physically fit.
Try these tips to get fit while gardening:
- Sweep and brush. If you have a patio, terrace or long driveway, grab a broom or brush and start sweeping (or brushing). Make sure you are sweeping or brushing hard and briskly to work those muscles and increase your heart rate. You could burn as many as 200 calories per hour while sweeping.
- Raking. If you have lots of trees on your property, you probably have leaves all over your yard. Instead of using a leaf blower to clear the area, why not use a rake. Raking burns even more calories than sweeping and can give you a good cardio workout if you keep up a good pace. If your place gets swamped with leaves perhaps you can use both a rake and a leaf blower.
- Squat when weeding. Try squatting when weeding instead of bending, which puts a tremendous amount of stress on your lower back. Each time you want to clear some weeds, pick up something or put something down, squat. Squatting is a great way to strengthen your legs. Strong legs become increasingly important for stability as we age to help prevent falls.
- Hoeing. Another way to remove those invasive weeds is by hoeing. This activity works several muscle groups including, arms, back, shoulders, chest and, with the right positioning, even legs. A few minutes of vigorous hoeing and you will certainly work up a good sweat.
- Digging. When you dig, you’re using your back, arms, shoulders, core, and leg muscles. It really is a great form of exercise that will get you breathing heavily in no time at all. Whether you’re digging holes for some new plants or turning over soil, it’s a great way to build overall core body strength.
- Build something. Building projects can be hard work and is another way to get fit while gardening. Maybe you could build a new greenhouse, garden box, chicken coop, or maybe even a playhouse/treehouse if you have children. Not only are you getting a good workout, but you’re also adding value to your home.
- Trim the trees. A good calorie burner is trimming or pruning the trees in your yard. You should probably avoid climbing into trees unless you are very experienced and fit. Just a few minutes pruning the dead branches from the trees in your garden will give you a good workout. Trimming the hedges will also give you a good muscle-toning burn. Be sure to wear the right safety equipment.
- Mow the lawn. Park the riding lawnmower, grab the push mower, and get moving. This will work practically every muscle in your body. It will also work your heart and burn lots of calories. If your yard is really large you could use the push mower for 1 to 2 hours and finish the rest with the riding mower.
- Use a wheelbarrow. Using a wheelbarrow to haul things around is another good workout for your core, arms, shoulders, back and legs. Depending on what you’re pushing around (and how far) you’ll not only workout your upper and lower body, but will be huffing and puffing and sweating also
Using your garden for physical fitness is like having an outdoor gym in your own yard. All it takes is intentionality and consistency. Another great benefit of outdoor exercise is that you are getting plenty of fresh air and vitamin D from the sunshine, both which are important for good health.
References:
- https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/physical_activity/index.html?s_cid=tw_ob387
- https://www.gardenbenches.com/blog/gardening-burn-calories/
- https://www.t3.com/features/which-garden-chore-burns-the-most-calories
- https://fitnessvolt.com/calories-burned-gardening-calculator/