Gardening Makes Beautiful Exercise
If you’ve ever worked in your garden in the middle of summer (or spring or fall), you know first-hand that gardening is indeed exercise. The walking, bending, pulling and carrying are all forms of exercise and a great way to burn some calories while making your yard beautiful.
If you need more proof that gardening is exercise, June 6 is National Gardening Exercise Day. Gardening is a great addition to your active lifestyle and has terrific mental benefits as well. You can soak up sunshine and fresh air and escape the stress of your job.
Some tips:
– Use a push mower instead of a riding lawn mower for added aerobic benefits.
– Use your knees! When bending and lifting, be sure to bend at your knees and take your back out of the equation.
– In the heat of the summer, take plenty of breaks, wear sunscreen/hat and drink lots of water.
– Here’s a great article on gardening health and safety tips.
Check out how many calories you can burn in 30 minutes of these gardening activities (for a 155-pound person):
– Raking the lawn: 149
– Bagging grass/leaves: 149
– General gardening: 167
– Mowing with a push mover: 167
– Weeding: 172
– Digging/spading dirt: 186
(Source: Harvard Heart Letter)
If you don’t do much gardening at home but want to reap the mental and physical benefits of beautifying the world around you, we have plenty of opportunities for you to garden in the parks with us. No experience is needed. Check our Calendar of Events for upcoming events.