PLANT AND PULL

GARDENING works all the major muscle groups: legs, buttocks, arms, shoulder, neck, back and core, providing an opportunity for physical exercise without the hassle of gym membership!

Pulling up weeds in your garden and planting pretty plants can get your blood flowing in your garden workout. These focus on the shoulders and arm muscles, but your thighs and bottom will get a workout too thanks to the squatting and up and down movements.

With regular attention, you can keep on top of weeds to ensure your garden looks spick and span, and to make sure they aren’t competing with your beautiful blooms for nutrients and moisture.

SWAP FOR A SHOVEL

Swap the weight bench for a shovel and get lifting. While digging, forking and mulching soil improves fertility and drainage, it will also get your whole body moving. It will use more force than tasks such as raking or sweeping. Digging and forking your soil will loosen the area from any compaction that has occurred from use in the garden.

REACHING OUT

Pruning and shaping bushes, trees and borders helps stretch arm muscles and keep your upper body loose and flexible. Remember to stretch out before you begin and be careful if working on a ladder or raised platform.

SKILLS FOR ALL

For the little ones, inset above, gardening engages both gross and fine motor development. Fine motor skills include small, precise and intricate tasks like sowing seeds, or deadheading flowers. Gross motor skills include large, powerful movements like digging soil, lifting containers or even (when they’re a little older) mowing the lawn.