Gardening For Fitness Routine
Did you know that the health benefits to gardening are like a good work out routine? Turns out planting flowers, digging and weeding is great exercise! Gardening lowers blood pressure and helps prevent arthritis. Added bonus: the satisfaction of having a beautiful flower garden, mowed lawn, and natural fruits (and vegetables) of labor to eat!
To prevent injury, here's a good stretching routine:
Warm Up: take a brisk 5 minute walk. Get fresh air into your lungs!
Stretching: Trunk Rotation (yours and not the trees')
Reaching for tools and leaves requires lots of twisting. Do this warm-up before and after gardening. Hold a broom or rake at waist level and slowly turn right, hold 2-5 seconds, then repeat on left.
Abdominal Marching
Lie on your back on a smooth surface with bent knees. Tighten your stomach and flatten spine. Pretend that you are "marching" and slowly lift, bend and lower left leg. Repeat for right leg. Do 2 sets. Each set should be 60 seconds.
Abdominal Arm Raises
Same position as above, make sure your belly button is aimed down towards your spine. Lift your left and then the right one (keep elbow straight.) You can do this simultaneously with the marching exercise, once you've built up strength.
Tree Hugger: Stretch Shoulders
With feet placed at shoulder width apart, wrap both hands around tree trunk and round out back. Feel the stretch for 30 seconds minimum.
Stretch Chest #1Stand next to a tall tree or wall, and place your forearm flat along the surface. Elbow bent, turn your entire body away from the arm until you feel the stretch. Hold for 30 seconds.
Stretch Chest #2
Do upper body push ups on a garden wall. You'll need those muscles to push around a lawn mower! Stand 2 ft away from the wall, lower your chest towards the wall, keep your body straight. Use your chest muscles most. 8-10 repetitions.
Stretch Legs
Trees are useful. Place both hands on the trunk, and take a step back with one leg. Keep the heel of your back foot flat. Hold for 30 seconds, feel the stretch. Repeat on other leg.
Calf Stretch
Stand 2 feet away from the tree trunk. Place both hands on trunk: take a step towards the trunk, leaving other foot behind. Lean in until you feel stretch. Hold for 30 seonds.
Quad Stretch
Facing tree trunk, hold on with one hand. Grab your ankle with other hand. Pull upwards, with knee facing downwards. Feel the stretch in your thigh. Hold for 30 seconds. Repeat on other leg.
Hamstrings
On a short garden wall, or sidewalk level, place one foot with toes facing up. Keep back straight and lean forward until you feel the resistance in back of your thigh. Hold for 30 seconds.
HipsUse a tall shovel for balance. Cross one leg over the other at knee level. Feel the stretch through the back of you hips. Gently push your bended knee downwards to align with hip. Hold 30 seconds. Repeat on opposite leg.
Squats
You'll need strong legs to lift heavy bags of soil, squatting while weeding and kneeling at garden beds! Standing with your feet shoulder width apart, place your hands on your hips. Squat down as far as you can, like you were about to sit down in a chair. Do not put pressure on your knees.
Toe/Heel Raises
Place hands on a tree or railing for balance. Raise heels up off the ground as high as you can go. Hold and tighten calf muscles for 30 seconds minumum. Roll back on heels and turn toes upwards. Feel the stretch in your shins. Do 10-15 repetitions.
Plate/Pot RaisesEspecially if you haven't lifted anything all winter, you could risk back muscles. Stand with feet shoulder width apart. Knees slightly bent. Elbows slightly bent. Hold an empty clay pot straight out in front of you and lift to shoulder height. Tip: To increase resistance fill with soil. Repeat 10 -15 times.
Arms
Strength your biceps by keeping the pose above. Using cans of nails, paint, etc. (if you don't have weights) curl in your arms. Repeat 10-15 times.
Now you're ready to garden... Nice work!
Blog Network
Leave a comment