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 You’ll work out all your major muscle groups when
raking, digging and planting for an hour. Include gardening as a
major component of your workout schedule. You’ll stretch and
strengthen muscles while promoting cardiovascular health and
maintaining bone mass. A University of Arkansas study found that
yard work as well as weight training more significantly maintained
bone density than aerobics, dancing or bicycling in women over 50.
And for those of us trying to lose weight, add 30 minutes of
gardening to your daily or weekly routine to help shed some extra
pounds. A half hour of raking burns 162 calories, weeding 182, and
turning the compost pile a whopping 250 calories. Gardening several
times a week will help keep you and your landscape looking its best.
Anytime I can receive double or triple the benefit from my time and
energy, the more likely I am to complete the task.
Protect your joints and muscles while gardening. Warm up, just as
you would for any workout, with a few simple stretches. Protect your
knees by using a stool, kneeling pad or one legged kneel (keeping
your other foot flat on the ground and back straight) instead of
squatting.
And no matter what shape you are in, drink lots of fluids to stay
hydrated during and after you finish gardening. This is especially
important with the extreme temperatures we are experiencing this
summer. Try gardening early in the morning or evening when
temperatures are a bit cooler. And time your work in garden beds
when they’re blanketed in shade.
Protect both your eyes and skin from the sun’s
intense rays by always wearing sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses. And
consider regular checkups with a dermatologist to monitor for skin
cancer.
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Pace yourself so you can enjoy the process and smell
the roses, heliotrope, daphne and alyssum along the way. Gardeners
have been into aromatherapy long before its recent rise in
popularity. A few strategically placed fragrant flowers can create a
delightful welcome home, soothing scent in your secret garden or
aromatherapy as you weed and tend your landscape.
Include some edible flowers and fruit for you, the birds and the
butterflies. Nothing beats the flavor or nutritional value of
fresh-from-the-garden fruits and vegetables. Plus, watching the
butterflies and hummingbirds sip on nectar from a fuchsia, coral
honeysuckle, verbena or salvia as the finches feed on coneflower
seeds will provide added beauty while the squirrels’ acrobatic
antics on giant sunflowers are sure to entertain.
If the task is too big or your time is limited, ask for help.
Gardening can also be a great team sport. Or make it a round robin
as you take turns gardening in each other’s gardens. You’ll all
enjoy a day filled with gardening, conversation and laughter. What
was once an overwhelming task suddenly becomes a chance to spend
time with friends, enjoy the garden and create new memories. Sharing
your knowledge, plant divisions or other talents like cooking or pet
sitting may be the perfect trade for your friends’ time and energy.
And as a wise person once said “Planting a garden is a way of
showing you believe in tomorrow.”
[Photo credit: Melinda Myers, LLC]
Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including
Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow
Anything” DVD series and the nationally syndicated Melinda’s Garden
Moment TV & radio segments. Myers is a columnist and contributing
editor for Birds & Blooms magazine. Myers’s web site is
www.MelindaMyers.com. |
