{"id":4534,"date":"2023-06-06T09:35:33","date_gmt":"2023-06-06T02:35:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/i-swapped-workouts-for-yard-work\/"},"modified":"2023-06-06T09:35:33","modified_gmt":"2023-06-06T02:35:33","slug":"i-swapped-workouts-for-yard-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=4534","title":{"rendered":"I Swapped Workouts for Yard Work"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"drop-cap text-big text-gray\"> <span class=\"drop-cap__first text-dropcap \">O<\/span>nce the weather warms up each year, I spend a fair amount of time gardening. I enjoy being outside, where the birds are singing. I\u2019m taking care of the plants, and my mind can wander. And when I\u2019m sore the next day, I can tell <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/is-yard-work-good-exercise\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/is-yard-work-good-exercise\/\">I\u2019ve gotten some exercise<\/a>.<\/div>\n<p>Although many of us might not think of gardening as a traditional workout, research has shown that it provides many <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6334070\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6334070\/\">physical and mental benefits<\/a>, including boosting mood and increased vitamin D levels from the sunlight. A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/abs\/pii\/S2212267222011261\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/abs\/pii\/S2212267222011261\">recent study<\/a> of U.S. adults 65 and older found that gardeners had better cardiovascular health than people who didn\u2019t garden. It&#8217;s also a super <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/gardening-and-longevity\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/gardening-and-longevity\/\">common activity among the longest-living people<\/a> on earth\u2014into their 90s and 100s.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGardening can often get overlooked as a form of exercise, but based on the feedback we\u2019ve received from our clients, we expect this to be a growing fitness category this year,\u201d says Rishi Mandal, co-founder and CEO of the fitness platform <a href=\"https:\/\/clicks.trx-hub.com\/xid\/leafgroup_ca5e0_wellgood?q=https%3A%2F%2Ffuturefitness.pxf.io%2Fc%2F2372336%2F1094211%2F13946%3FsubId1%3DSTMSFT-1072791%26u%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.future.co%252F&amp;p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wellandgood.com%2Fgardening-exercise%2F&amp;event_type=click\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.future.co\/\">Future<\/a>. \u201cWe\u2019re seeing more client requests to coaches asking to program in an hour or two of gardening into their weekly workout schedules.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But how much of a workout am I really getting out of gardening? To try to find out, I swapped my usual workouts\u2014typically running, yoga, and weights\u2014with gardening for a week, and I got some expert advice on how to make it into a more purposeful workout.<\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content \" style=\"\" data-module-init=\"related-content\" data-module-immediate=\"\" v-cloak=\"\">\n<div class=\"related-content__wrapper \" v-cloak=\"\" :class=\"{'is-loaded':isLoaded}\">\n<p> <span class=\"inline pr-6 text-seafoam-dark\">Related Stories<\/span> <\/p>\n<p> <related-content class=\"related-content__links\" parent-article-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/gardening-exercise\/\" current-title=\"I Swapped My Usual Workouts With Gardening for a Week, and Found New Ways To Work My Muscles in the Yard\" current-image=\"GettyImages-gardening-for-exercise-425x285.jpg\" v-on:parsely-posts-loaded=\"onPostsLoaded\" start-date=\"2022-12-05\" tag=\"div\" inline-template=\"\" url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/gardening-exercise\/\" secret=\"w5ztterVB03LGZJLfXS0hf3EvQBuFFIWew9hmVQxthU\" apikey=\"wellandgood.com\" limit=\"3\"> <\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"related-content__card mb-[10px] sm:mb-[20px]\" :class=\"{'related-content__card--full':posts.length === 1}\" v-for=\"(post, key) in posts\"> <a v-on:click.prevent=\"trackLinkGA($event, key)\" :href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/gardening-exercise\/post.url\" data-url-source=\"related-content\" class=\"related-content__link\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"\"> <\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content__card--image bg-tan\" :style=\"{ backgroundImage: 'url(' + post.image_url + ')' }\"> <img :src=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/gardening-exercise\/post.image_url\" :alt=\"post.title\"\/> <\/div>\n<p> <\/a>  <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <\/related-content> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<h2><strong>How hard is gardening, really?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/physicalactivity\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/physicalactivity\/index.html\">list of physical activities<\/a> from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) includes several gardening and yard work activities. Among the ones that are considered moderate activity: light shoveling, raking, bagging grass or leaves, digging, weeding while standing or bending, trimming shrubs and trees, and pushing a power lawn mower. And vigorous ones include heavy or rapid shoveling, carrying heavy loads, felling trees, and pushing a nonmotorized lawn mower.<\/p>\n<p>(The CDC\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/health.gov\/our-work\/nutrition-physical-activity\/physical-activity-guidelines\/current-guidelines\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/health.gov\/our-work\/nutrition-physical-activity\/physical-activity-guidelines\/current-guidelines\">physical activity guidelines<\/a> say that every week, adults should get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity, such as walking, or at least 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity, such as running\u2014plus muscle-strengthening activities.)<\/p>\n<p>Most of my typical yard work tasks would be moderate-intensity activities, which don\u2019t get my heart rate up as much as running does. So they may qualify as strength exercises but not really as cardio.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>I added in cardio breaks to boost my heart rate<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Knowing that I wasn\u2019t getting in real aerobic exercise from gardening, Louise Valentine, MPH, CPT, of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.breakingthroughwellness.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.breakingthroughwellness.com\/\">Breaking Through Wellness<\/a>, suggested breaking up my tasks with something like jumping jacks, running in place, or jump squats. For example, when I\u2019m squatting down and digging, I could set an alarm to get up after 10 minutes and do one of these exercises, she says.<\/p>\n<p>I tried this, adding in some jumping jacks, which did get my heart rate up to about the same level it is when I\u2019m running\u2014at least for a few minutes at a time. I also purposely walked briskly from one task to another. Although this wasn\u2019t sustained cardio, in an hour, I somehow covered almost one and a half miles, which I never would have guessed if I hadn\u2019t tracked it on my GPS watch.<\/p>\n<p>Breaking up gardening tasks with other exercises not only gives your heart a quick boost, but it can also prevent injuries, \u201cso you&#8217;re not in one fixed position for too long,\u201d Valentine says.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Simple tweaks turn tasks into balanced strength training<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Some gardening movements work mostly smaller muscle groups, but you can intentionally work larger or different muscle groups. And focusing on form during yard work can yield more strength benefits.<\/p>\n<p>With raking, for example, \u201cyou could intentionally get into a lunge position, pull, engage your core\u2014and that&#8217;s a totally different type of exercise than you standing there just raking,\u201d Valentine says.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re pulling weeds in a lunge position, that builds both upper and lower body strength, Valentine says. \u201cThink: How can I make this a total-body workout?\u201d she suggests. That may be mixing in some push-ups, planks, or walking lunges, she says.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLifting and carrying heavy bags of soil, compost, or watering cans also offer a great upper body and core workout, while lifting can activate your glutes and quads\u2014just like strength training you might do at the gym,\u201d Mandal points out.<\/p>\n<p>In the gym, people typically exercise both sides of the body evenly. But in your yard, you may use your dominant side for most tasks. If you\u2019re pulling weeds or picking up sticks, for example, you can consciously switch to the other side. \u201cIt&#8217;s probably going to feel weird,\u201d Valentine admits.<\/p>\n<p>But it\u2019s doable. I was digging up plants with a big shovel, which I would normally hold mainly in my right hand and step down on it with my right foot to drive it into the ground, but I switched to the left side. It did feel a little unnatural, but not difficult. And later, I didn\u2019t feel the lopsided soreness I normally would.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Warm up and cool down<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Just as you would with a typical workout session, it\u2019s important to warm up before gardening, says Valentine. \u201cStretching, so your body is in good alignment before you even start,\u201d can help prevent injuries and pain, she says. She suggests chest-opening and forearm stretches. Toe touches and rolling out your shoulders can also help, Mandal adds.<\/p>\n<p>I admit: It had never occurred to me to warm up before gardening, even though my forearms are often sore afterward.<\/p>\n<p>When you\u2019re all done, massaging your forearms can reduce tension and loosen them up, Valentine says. Mandal advises using a foam roller or tennis ball to massage your back, hamstrings, \u201cand any other sore areas to ensure your muscles are relaxed and flexible.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Getting back to basics<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Sometimes I feel achy after gardening\u2014and not like being sore from a good workout. But by adding in some other exercises and being intentional about my movements, I got a bit of cardio in and worked larger muscle groups, and it felt like I\u2019d gotten some solid exercise.<\/p>\n<p>I can\u2019t exactly replace running with gardening and expect the same cardio benefits, but I do plan to make gardening count as one part of my overall exercise routine.<\/p>\n<p>During this week of gardening-as-workouts, I was rewarded with my first peony blooms and cilantro starting to grow, plus seeing my native plants, including spiderwort, come back strong from last year. That felt like an accomplishment, too.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c[Gardening] also offers meditative benefits, and there\u2019s something really \u2018back to basics\u2019 about getting immersed in some terra firma,\u201d Mandal says.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1675549\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Once the weather warms up each year, I spend a fair amount of time gardening. I enjoy being outside, where the birds are singing. I\u2019m taking care of the plants, and my mind can wander. And when I\u2019m sore the next day, I can tell I\u2019ve gotten some exercise. Although many of us might not &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":4535,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4534","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4534","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4534"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4534\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4535"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4534"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4534"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4534"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}