Stay in trim
You don’t need to join a gym to get a great workout. Tackle neglected garden jobs to get your backyard... and yourself looking fabulous
Many of us find it hard to find the time to fit regular exercise into our busy day-to-day lives, never mind a trip to an overpriced, boring gym.
But whether you’re looking to burn calories and lose weight, stay toned and supple, or simply get your heart pumping and the blood moving in your veins, the garden could be your lifesaver.
It’s a great place to stay active and fit doing something that won’t feel like exercising – and it might surprise you just how good a workout you can get.
Not to mention, if you’re growing and eating your own fruit and veg, you can build a well-rounded, healthy lifestyle from your own back yard.
So if you’re not necessarily the gym type or simply struggle to find the time, you can still get a workout doing something you enjoy. Three hours of gardening compares to around an hour of intensive training in the gym.
According to nutritionists at Loughborough University, mowing, digging and planting for two to three hours burns off up to 1lb a week.
Just half an hour of weeding burns up to 150 calories, and heavier tasks like hedgetrimming or pruning can burn over 400 calories an hour.
You’ll also be stretching, bending and lifting – keeping your body strong and supple. And to top it all, this workout is outdoors rather than in a sweaty, windowless room.
A lot of gardening tasks do a brilliant job of getting all of your muscle groups working – and can be directly compared to various gym equipment.
But keep in mind, if you want to get the full benefit and get your heart rate up, you have to give each job some welly.
Mow instead of tread. Trade the rowing machine or treadmill for a lawnmower and get yourself moving. If you have a manual push mower then you will get a real workout for your upper body too, but for most of us with a petrol or electric-powered device it will mainly focus on your legs and buttocks. As well as the cosmetic benefits, mowing the lawn also helps keep your lawn healthy and eliminates some of the pests from the grass at the same time. Rake instead of Row Raking will work your entire upper body, including your shoulder and back muscles, as well as the pectoral muscles in your chest. Obviously your arms will get a lot of use, but your legs will too when you are picking up and clearing the debris. This works similar muscle groups to a rowing machine. And raking, whether it is grass clippings or dead leaves, is important to allow your lawn to breathe and get the sunlight it needs.
Weeding and Planting instead of Cross-training:
Pulling up those pesky weeds, as well as planting new additions to the garden, can really get the blood flowing. This one will work your body in a similar way to a cross-trainer machine.
Focusing on the shoulder and arm muscles especially, but also giving your thighs and bottom a good workout from all of the up and down movement, squatting and bending. But watch out for your back by using a kneeling pad or stool for larger jobs – you’ll still work your upper body brilliantly.
Weeds can quickly get out of control and steal nutrients and water from surrounding plants. Digging instead of Lifting: Swap dumbbells for a shovel and get lifting. Digging is another job that will activate almost every part of your body, making it similar to using weights. Regular digging also improves soil aeration.
Just half an hour of weeding burns up to 150 calories, and heavier tasks like hedge-trimming or pruning can burn over 400 calories an hour ....