THE GARDENING WORKOUT At this time of year keeping the garden tidy can seem an endless task. The weeds grow when you aren’t looking, while the real plants need endless trimming and defence against predators. Whoever said that gardening was a gentle, relaxing activity clearly never had to deal with the resulting aches and strains. If your garden is getting on top of you, how about combining it with your fitness programme? Here are some ideas for the garden workout and the gym workout to match. Remember to start off gently for both sessions. - Pruning and weeding needs flexibility, so that you can reach all those tight spaces without treading on the desirable plants. Book into a yoga, pilates or dance class to ease those joints and release the muscles. - Upper body strength is essential for trimming hedges and trees without straining shoulders and neck. Ask the gym staff for some guidance on weight-training to help you get fit for the clippers. - Pushing the lawnmower and brandishing the strimmer need stamina. Exercise bike and treadmill sessions will help with this. - Weight lifting is also part of the gardener’s repertoire. This comes up when digging soil, installing new features and shifting the inevitable piles of debris. Again, the gym is the place to learn safe techniques and build the muscles. Your back will probably make its presence felt at the end of a long day in the garden. Don’t forget to take a stroll around and then do some stretches to warm down. A swim at your local pool is a great way to soothe the muscles. Then you can head home to admire the garden in the long summer daylight!
Posted on: Thu, 27 Nov 2014 11:00:00 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015