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 lying 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 you are sweeping hard and fast, as this will get your heart beating in no time.
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 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; the sawing is also hard work. Just a few minutes of pruning the dead branches from the trees in your garden will give you a good workout.
Digging. When you dig, you use your back, arms, shoulders, core, and leg muscles. It is a great form of exercise that will get you breathing heavily in no time. Whether digging holes for new plants or turning over soil, it’s a great way to get fitter.
Hoeing. Like digging, hoeing is a good exercise for turning over the soil to remove those annoying weeds. It can be especially hard when working on rocky ground. You will have worked up quite a sweat in just a few short minutes.
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 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. If you have children, you could consider building a new greenhouse, chicken coop, garden box, or maybe even a playhouse/treehouse. 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 what you can do to get fit while keeping your garden looking beautiful.
Another benefit of working outdoors is that you get some fresh air and plenty of vitamin D from the sunlight, which is important for good health!
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