Work your way to peak fitness by gardening during lockdown
Spring is one of the most active times of the year for gardeners and, during this lockdown period, there’s a chance to make the most of any decent weather to get on top of outdoor jobs while building up your fitness.
No need for gym weights or machines. Active gardening can stretch your muscles, get the heart pumping and release endorphins for a feel good factor.
Being out in the sunshine can also boost your vitamin D levels.
There is plenty of bending involved in garden tasks, and manual work such as digging and wielding wheelbarrows takes effort, building upper body strength.
It’s important to adopt the correct posture when lifting anything heavy, such as a planter, and if you feel strain in any part of the body while completing a task it may be a good idea to switch to something different.
Alternate between tasks and listen to your body if it warns of overload.
Dealing with weeds, planting seeds or flowers, and picking flowers or vegetables can all work your legs and abs surprisingly hard.
Squats should be done correctly, and these, along with kneeling and crouching, all utilise lower body muscles.
Even when using garden tools for jobs such as strimming or cutting back lawn edges, trees and bushes, the arms will be put to the test as they are raised to the task.
Raking up leaves and mown grass or other debris appears quite light work, as you observe someone else. But this kind of movement actually uses most of the body’s muscle groups.
And mowing grass isn’t as easy as it looks either. With tension in the arms it is necessary to ensure your equipment is a suitable height and weight, and is working efficiently.
Other outdoor jobs such as applying protective varnish to fences will work the arms, legs and back, as you will soon notice after an hour or two. Do intermittent stretches and have an occasional walk around to prevent stiffness and aching.
Vegetable gardens or allotments require plenty of stooping and stretching for planting and picking, but offer huge rewards in terms of health benefits and great tasting and nutritious home grown food.
At the end of any work session out in the fresh air, you can feel virtuous as you stand back and enjoy the visual rewards of your labours too