Gardening: A Path to Health and Fitness
Spending time outdoors in nature is known to boost our mood and overall well-being. Did you know that gardening, a popular outdoor activity, can also contribute to our physical health?
Does Gardening Count as Exercise?
According to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, adults need at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity each week. Gardening chores such as mowing, weeding, digging, planting, raking, and carrying heavy bags can all count towards this recommended activity.
Exercise While Gardening
Here are some tips to turn your gardening chores into effective exercise sessions:
- Warm up: Before heading out to the garden, do some light stretches to prepare your muscles and prevent injuries.
- Use a push mower: Instead of using a riding mower, opt for a push mower. This requires more effort and burns more calories.
- Rake your lawn regularly: Keep your lawn tidy by raking it once a week. Alternate arms while raking to balance the effort.
- Use proper lifting techniques: When lifting heavy bags, use the large muscles in your legs instead of your back to avoid strain.
- Exaggerate movements: Lengthen your stretches, add some skips to your steps, and exaggerate digging motions to increase the intensity of your workout.
- Walk while watering: Instead of standing still while watering your plants, walk in place or back and forth to get your legs moving.
- Squat to pull weeds: Squatting to pull weeds instead of kneeling works your leg muscles more effectively.
Health Benefits of Gardening
In addition to providing a sense of accomplishment, gardening offers numerous health benefits:
- Calorie burn: Gardening activities can burn a significant number of calories. For example, 30 minutes of general gardening burns around 167 calories for a 155-pound person.
- Reduced health risks: Studies have shown that regular gardening can reduce the risk of premature death, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and depression.
Gardening Tips for Health and Fitness
- Incorporate gardening into your routine: Set aside specific times each week for gardening and stick to your schedule.
- Make it enjoyable: Choose gardening tasks that you find enjoyable to make the exercise more sustainable.
- Listen to your body: Take breaks when needed and avoid overexertion.
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of water before, during, and after gardening to prevent dehydration.
Conclusion
Gardening is an excellent way to combine physical activity with the joys of nature. By incorporating these tips into your gardening routine, you can turn your outdoor hobby into a beneficial workout that contributes to your overall health and well-being.