Each year, National Gardening Exercise Day is celebrated on June 6th by gardeners all over the country. This is a great time to get out in the fresh air, burn some calories, and nurture the beauty of nature. It’s not clear who created this special day, but we are pretty sure it was a business or organization dedicated to gardening.
There are a number of ways to incorporate exercise into gardening routine. Before you get started, you should warm up your muscles for a few minutes no matter what your age to help minimize any strain on your muscles or joints. This can involve some stretching of your legs and arms.
Gardening uses a variety of motions within normal activities with raking, mowing, weeding, digging, pruning and moving plants and flowers around. You will find yourself bending down on one leg or both legs, knelling, squatting, lunging and walking. Perhaps you will even work in some climbing, depending on your garden and what you are doing.
It is important to remember to go at your own pace and enjoy what you are doing. Also keep in mind not to bend using your back muscle but do it from your knees. Be sure to use legs, arms, and shoulders instead to keep the strain off your back.
While you may enjoy being in the garden all day, pay attention to the time as an all-day marathon in the garden my overexert your body and take you out of the running for a few days. Space out the time you are out there, especially in the hot summer time. Be sure to also stay hydrated and apply the sunscreen. Also, consider wearing a hat to help provide further shade.
Be sure to also alternate the type of motion and stance you use to avoid wearing any muscles out, which can lead to strains and sprains. Use long-handled tools for gardening that involves standing up while switching to hand tools when you can do jobs that require sitting down. This will also alleviate stress on your body while still giving you a good workout.
This is also a great day to get your family involved in gardening, including the kids. Get them outdoors and away from the videos so they can learn about nature, enjoy the fresh air, and add some exercise to their weekend.