Move
ENJOY A GARDEN
WORKOUT Getting into the garden this spring can be as good as going to the gym. Fitness consultant Craig Wise has the details.
R
ecently, I was part of a conversation about gyms and the convenience of 24-hour gym access, when one person in the group asked, ‘How did we ever exercise before all this access and a gym on nearly every corner?’ The answer is simple – we did stuff. And by ‘stuff’, I mean we mowed our own lawns, cleaned our own homes, washed our own cars, and more. These days, our lives are filled with convenience. What if we took a step back and started doing stuff again? The garden, for example, can be a great place to stay active and get fit. With the warmer weather and longer days coming, getting out there isn’t so much of a chore as it was, and the health benefits are more than a bonus.
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DIABETES WELLNESS | Spring 2021
YOUR GARDEN GYM
Here are some garden activities that are also great exercise. Mowing
Just about every garden has some lawn, and pushing the mower is a great workout. A petrol mower, which is the standard these days, will give a leg workout. But you get extra points if you go old school and use a push mower – this will add some upper body action to your garden workout. Raking
Using the rake is an integral part of garden maintenance, whether it’s collecting dead leaves or grass clippings. The rake helps the top layer of the garden to breathe and clears away debris to give it the sunlight it needs. Raking is a bit like using a rowing machine at the gym. It will give your upper body a good
workout, especially your shoulder and back muscles. The leg muscles will also get some action when you pick up your pile of raked leaves or grass. Digging
Another activity that can give you a good all-over workout is digging the garden and turning the soil. The act of turning the soil before planting is great for aerating the soil – and also perfect for working the shoulders, chest, and back. Weeding
Any gardener knows just how quickly those evil weeds rear their heads and spoil all our good work, so pulling out weeds is a neverending exercise routine. It’s a good shoulder workout and can be excellent for hand dexterity and strength. If you’re doing a lot of getting up and down, the legs will also get a workout.
