Want a New Way to Exercise? Try Gardening!
By Donna Stark
Are you interested in bodybuilding? No? Well, how about gardening then? If you want a great way to exercise, a satisfying way to beautify your home with fresh flowers, and a delicious way to complement your meals, gardening could be your answer. Every gardener will tell you that squatting for hours to pick weeds and shoveling dirt to plant seeds will get your muscles burning, so why don't you consider heading outside to your backyard? Here are the top benefits of doing so.
Provides an All-Over Body Workout
From your arms to your back to your core to your legs, you can count on all of your major muscle groups to become fully engaged while gardening and on your body to get the workout of a lifetime. Just be sure to do some stretches and light movements before heading out so you can warm up your muscles and prevent injury.
Increases Range of Motion
Raking, shoveling, weeding, and pruning ... if you are looking for a way to increase your range of motion, gardening is it! But keep in mind that your movements need to be big in order for an improvement to be made, so try to widen them as much as possible from the position you start with to the position you end in. This may take some practice to achieve but it will help improve your overall function.
Burns Calories
If you garden for at least 30 minutes a day, you could potentially burn more calories than what you would in some exercise classes for the same amount of time. Just don't take the easy way out. Here are some tips on how to keep those calories falling off your body.
- Use a push mower in place of a riding one
- If watering with a hose, walk back and forth instead of standing still
- Squat to pull weeds instead of kneeling
- Use hand tools before you reach for the power ones
- Maintain a tidy yard by cleaning it weekly
- Add some extra lunges while walking from one spot to the next
Start Planting Today!
In addition to getting a full-body workout, gardening can also reduce your stress, provide an extra dose or two of Vitamin D, improve your moods, and fill your meals with loads of nutrient-dense produce! So, start planning yours today and get ready to look forward to better health and wellness!
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Rosenberg, Tex.