Exercise your green fingers

Gardening is a great form of exercise everyone can enjoy.

Whether it's pruning branches, mowing the lawn, carrying a watering can or digging, gardening involves walking, bending, stretching, lifting and reaching to give your muscles, heart and bones an excellent workout.

Exercising in the fresh air in contact with nature can also help to relieve stress and increase feelings of well being.

While gardening can certainly get you fit, to avoid aches and pains remember these key points.

• Always warm up by doing some simple stretching exercises. 
• Keep the spine in a neutral position rather than slumped forward.
• Regularly change jobs and limit the time spent on any one activity to 20 minutes.
• Lift correctly - remember to bend your knees and keep your back straight.
• Don’t grip tools too hard and keep your wrist in a neutral position with the hand straight out.
• Use both sides of the body, for example when digging, change the digging foot routinely.
• Keep hydrated, as dehydration can lead to increased muscle stiffness after exercise.

For more inspiration, read the book ‘Garden your Way to Health and Fitness’ by Bunny Guinness and Jacqueline Knox, published by Timber Press which features illustrated exercises to suit all fitness levels and shows you how to design your own outdoor gym.

Outdoor gym equipment is becoming very popular and can include pieces like cross trainers and rowing machines that look good in a garden and don’t need any maintenance. For a brochure contact Fresh Air Fitness on 01483 608860 or visit www.fresh-airfitness.co.uk

Green Gym

If you haven’t got a garden or would like to join others getting fit outdoors, why not consider your local 'green gym'. The green gym scheme is run by the BTCV (British Trust for Conservation Volunteers) and enables people to get fitter by volunteering to do conservation or gardening work. It’s a sociable way to improve your health and the environment and it’s free. For more information call 01302 388 883 or visit www2.btcv.org.uk

Please consult with your Healthcare Professional before you take up any new exercise routine.

Back to Healthy Body