Welcome to Gardening Guide
Water Gardening Uk Article
. For a permanent link to this article, or to bookmark it for further reading, click here.
Using Gardening to Get in Shape
from:By Deb St. George, on Gardening Health in your Gardening Guide From Spiritravels.com
While gardening is usually thought of as a productive way to grow beautiful plants and obtain tasty fruits and vegetables, few gardeners have ever considered the immense amounts of exercise one can get in the process of gardening. While you can get almost as much muscle (if not more) exercise as you do working out, it is very productive at the same time.
You may wonder how gardening could possibly give as much exercise as working out. Just think about all the various facets of preparing a garden. There are holes to be dug, bags and pots to be carried, and weeds to be pulled. Doing all of these things help to work out almost every group of muscles in your body.
My brother is a fanatic about working out. Almost every time I call his house, I end up interrupting some muscle toning activity. I’ve never really enjoyed working out, though, as it seems that the constant lifting of heavy things just puts a strain on my body with no immediate positive results. But while he is into working out, I am almost equally enthusiastic about gardening. I work outside improving my garden almost every day. I think I definitely surprised my brother when he realized that I am almost as muscular as he is; but I have never lifted a single dumbbell!
Before you go out into your garden, you should always stretch out. Even if your goal isn’t to work out and get exercise, it’s still a good idea. Often gardeners spend long periods of time hunched over or bent over. This can be bad for your back. So not only should you stretch out before hand, but you should always take frequent breaks if you’re spending long amounts of time in these positions.
Weeding and pruning are some of the best workouts a gardener can get. With the constant crouching and standing, the legs get a great workout. If your weeds are particularly resistant, your arms will become particularly toned just from the effort required to remove them from the ground. If you plan on taking the whole workout think very seriously, you should always be switching arms and positions to spread out the work between different areas of your body.
One of the most obvious ways to get exercise is in the transporting and lifting of bags and pots. Between the nursery and your house, you will have to move the bags multiple times (to the checkout, to your car, to your garden, and then spreading them out accordingly). As long as you remember to lift with your legs and not your back, transporting bags and pots can give you a fairly big workout, even though you probably don’t make those purchases very often.
Mowing your grass can also be a great exercise. If you’ve got an older mower that isn’t self propelled, just the act of pushing it through the grass will give you more of a workout than going to the gym for a few hours. During the course of mowing the grass, you use your chest, arms, back, and shoulder to keep the mower ahead of you. Your thighs and butt also get worked a lot to propel the mower. Not only do you get an all around muscle work out, but it can improve your heart’s health. It’s good for you as a cardiovascular activity, as well as a great way to lose weight due to the increased heart rate and heavy breathing.
If you plan on using gardening as a way to get in shape or lose some weight, you can hardly go wrong. Just be sure to stretch out, drink plenty of water, and apply sunscreen. As long as you take steps to prevent the few negative effects such as pulled muscles, dehydration and sunburn, I think you’ll have a great time and end up being a healthier person because of it.
Water Gardening Uk News
UK & World News: Hosepipe ban exemption for firms
Embattled gardening businesses have been granted a 28-day reprieve from the hosepipe ban.
Read more...Hosepipe ban lifted for gardening businesses
THAMES Water last night denied reports that it was planning to end the hosepipe ban next month as it relaxed the restriction for businesses.
Read more...Hosepipe ban on way out
Embattled gardening businesses were today granted a 28-day reprieve from the hosepipe ban.
Read more...Evidence-based gardening takes gold
This year's Chelsea Flower Show in London is going urban
Read more...UK weather: Summer's on the way as temperatures soar to 26C
It looks like it's finally safe to break out the barbecues and beach gear as the mercury looks set to hit 25 degrees in London and the south east tomorrow.
Read more...UK weather: Temperatures set to hit 25C in parts of Britain today
Officials have renamed the droughts after the wettest April on record failed to rehydrate the land in some areas. Today, however, temperatures look set to hit 25C in London and the south east.
Read more...Spectacular Displays at 2012 Chelsea Flower Show [PHOTOS]
Gardens open to public as Royal Horticultural Society's Chelsea Flower Show, often referred to as catwalk of gardening world, marks first event of summer social season.
Read more...