April (snow) showers bring May flowers…right? Now that the snow has melted, the sun is shining, and the warmer weather has arrived, gardening season is ready to begin! For some, gardening is a hobby and for others it is a chore. However, have you thought of it as an exercise? Probably not. Gardening is more physical than most of us realize. Many of us have spent the (very long) winter, hibernating by the fireplace and doing minimal activity outdoors. For those who do not participate in regular physical activity, spending an afternoon cleaning up the yard may leave your body feeling like you ran a marathon.
Gardening requires flexibility, strength, and balance of nearly our whole body. Think about the tasks you have to do while you gardening. You are digging, lifting, bending, and getting up and down from the ground several times. Your body is likely not used to doing those functional tasks over and over for an entire day. That does not mean you should shy away, gardening is an excellent source of physical activity. There are several things you can do to help your body become used to the increase in activity.
To ensure you can enjoy cleaning up the yard, I highly recommend you take the time to view the video below. In the video, I discuss the three rules to follow while gardening. The video covers proper gardening positions to avoid stress on your joints, a brief warm up routine to improve flexibility, and helpful hints on pacing yourself. Following these guidelines will keep you healthy and your garden beautiful throughout the gardening season!
Video
