Are you lucky enough to have a garden? If you are, you probably love spending time in it, using it to help relax and unwind after a tough day at work.
Besides the obvious benefits of stress relief and good food or beautiful plants, you can also use your garden to keep you fit!
Try these techniques to get fit while gardening:
Grab a brush and sweep.
If you see a few fallen leaves laying on the floor of your garden, grab a brush and sweep them away. Sweeping could burn as many as 200 calories per hour. Just ensure that you are sweeping hard and fast, as this will get your heart beating in no time at all.
Use a rake.
Using a rake is an even bigger calorie burner than sweeping, burning as many as 300 calories every hour. After you’ve trimmed your lawn, grab a rake and use it to make huge piles of the grass, which can then be hauled away.
Trim the trees.
A good calorie burner is trimming or pruning the trees in your garden. You will probably have to climb up to the branches, plus the sawing is hard work too. Just a few minutes pruning the dead branches from the trees in your garden will give you a good workout.
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 get fitter.
Hoeing.
Similar to digging, hoeing is a good exercise that is useful for turning over the soil to remove those annoying weeds. It can be especially hard when working on rocky ground. Just a few short minutes and you will have worked up quite a sweat.
Squat when you are weeding.
Instead of using a chair or kneeling while you weed, use the opportunity to get a leg workout in. Each time you reach down for a weed, squat into position and hold the position until your legs start to burn. If you can avoid sitting or kneeling, your legs will get a great workout.
Build something for the garden.
Carpentry can be hard work and is another way to get fit while gardening. Perhaps you could think about building a new greenhouse, chicken coop, garden box, 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.
Cut your lawn.
Forget about a ride-on lawnmower. Use a lawnmower that you can push. If you use it around your lawn, you’ll no doubt be sweating and out of breath by the time you finish.
Clean up the mess using a wheelbarrow.
Using a wheelbarrow is a good workout for your core, forearms, arms, shoulders, and back. It gives you an excellent upper body workout while ensuring that you’re leaving your garden nice and tidy.
Using your garden for working out may seem easier said than done. Consider these ideas of what you can do to get fit while keeping your garden looking beautiful.
Another benefit of working outdoors is that you are getting some fresh air and plenty of vitamin D from the sunlight, which are both important for your good health.
