Get Fit for Gardening

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Perform a light warm-up

Use proper gardening biomechanics

Cooling down after gardening

Enjoy the benefits

To prevent muscle injury, perform a five-minute warm-up. Just walk to the mailbox, check the garden beds, do some arm circles, fill the bird feeder or walk the dog. Then do a stretch or two. • To stretch the hamstrings, place one heel on the ground and gently lean forward. Hold 20 seconds and switch sides. • To stretch the quadriceps, wrap a towel around one ankle, bend your knee, and hold your ankle up with the towel. Hold for 20 seconds and switch sides.

Perform gardening tasks with the body in alignment—it’s essential for your range of motion. Following a few rules can help. • Lift with your legs. Keep your chest and head up and bend your knees, using your legs to lift the load. • When working with a trowel, grip it with your thumb resting on top, like shaking hands. • Don’t bend at the waist—it causes strain on the lower back. Alternate among sitting, kneeling and stretching.

Always stretch after gardening. Do these two simple stretches to improve your posture and lower back. • To stretch the chest, shoulders and biceps, clasp hands behind the back with palms facing in. Keep the chest and shoulders open and lift arms. Hold for a minute. • For a gentle wrist stretch, lift the arm shoulder-level high and aim fingers upward. Using your other hand, apply even pressure to the palm and gently push fingers upward to stretch the bottom of the forearm.

You’ve just finished a proper gardening routine. Consider these benefits: • Gardening is challenging, but is not as stressful on the body as high-impact exercises like jogging or aerobics. • Think of gardening as cross-training for fitness buffs, and exercise for everyone.

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