Gardening is a great way to not only enjoy fresh air and the outdoors but to increase your physical activity, too. You may think of gardening mainly as a fun activity or a way to grow food for your family, but it’s also a good way to add more physical activity to your day. It can help strengthen bones and joints, lower blood pressure and help manage stress.
A 150-pound person, working actively for 30 minutes, can burn 200 to 250 calories digging and pulling weeds and 120 to 150 calories raking. Add these gardening activities to your exercise routine and enjoy the great outdoors this spring!
- planting
- removing rocks
- digging
- pulling weeds
- spreading compost
- cultivating
- trimming trees and shrubs
- raking
Before starting a new exercise routine, talk with your doctor. Start your pre-gardening warm-up with some gentle stretching and core strengthening. Use safe lifting procedures to protect your back from strain. Enjoy your garden — and better health!
Source: USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture
