Gardening is
Exercise!
Both vegetable
and flower gardening are most rewarding. There’s nothing more satisfying in
this world than creating something and being able to actually see, feel or
smell it. Your marvelous creation simply came from a seed or transplant. No one knows the behind scenes details that
went into creating that flower or squash but, you do. You know that with your labor of love comes the possibility of injury.
You toughed the
weather, the backaches, lugging, hauling, pulling, kneeling, standing,
stretching and lifting for long hours, with occasional bouts of dehydration;
yet, you had a mission.. a vision of making beauty and creating a bountiful
harvest of fresh flowers, fruits and vegetables. You did it and I hope that you
did it the right way.
Prevent Injuries by Gardening the Right Way
Gardening is
exercise. In the beginning, gardening can be rugged, tough and down- right hell
on three wheels. Each season there’s
plenty of physical work to be done like having to till or turn over soil, pull
weeds, haul in manure, tug around bags, containers, wheel barrels and hoses.
You’re a regular mule.
Planting seeds,
pulling weeds or tugging garden hoses can all simulate exercises as like lunges,
bends, squats, pull and even push-ups and pull-ups.
Before you begin
your day of gardening you should prepare yourself for the usual lifts, bends,
lunges and pulls that are all a part of general gardening. Always warm your muscles by moving.
You can walk in place, stretch, punch, act like you're pulling a lawn mower cord, simulate walking steps or even pretending to hula hoop. It's always best to warm your body up a bit before heading outside to do manual labor. This will prevent injury to muscles which can cause everything from backaches to charlie horses.
Pretending to hula hoop is a great exercise to loosen leg, hip, and back muscles.
How to Get in Shape - A Few Minutes of Preventative Exercise
Upper body
twist:
- Stand with your hands on your hips.
- Slowly turn your upper body as far as
possible to the left for a count of 5.
- Turn to the right and hold for a
count of 5.
- Repeat 10 times.
Upper body
stretch:
- Stand with your back straight and
arms to your sides.
- Stretch arms straight out in front of
you and hold for a count of 5.
- Return arms to sides. Repeat 10
times.
- Now, stretch arms straight in back of
you until shoulder blades touch. Hold for a count of 5.
- Return arms to sides. Repeat 10
times.
Down To Earth
Gardening Tips







Using vinegar as a garden tool can cut physical labor in half. Why spend hours standing and bending when you can use a bottle of vinegar to kill weeds, fungus and aphids?
Save Your Back - Use Garden Helpers for
Pesky Weeds



When you’re able
to finally see the beautiful results of all your sweat and labor, you know that
every ache and pain was well worth it. It’s even more satisfying to awe your
family, friends and neighbors when they see that marvelous garden or lawn that
you’ve nurtured all by yourself. You soon forget about all of the physical
labor that it took to get you to that appreciation.
Remember to at least do a
bit of warming up before you head outside to do all the manual labor that comes
with outdoor gardening. You’ll be glad you did as time goes by. As like any
sport or exercise, injuries, wear and
tear on the joints or not doing proper exercise moves will eventually catch up
to you.
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Howdy!
Thank you very much for your comments and questions.I will be sure to reply as soon as I can. With Regards ~Emma