National Gardening Exercise Day is observed each year on June 6th and encourages us to maximize the benefits we reap from gardening by adding some stretches and a few extra steps or squats.
Gardening on its own is therapeutic, builds muscles and burns calories. Some of the gardening activities that are excellent for working your muscles and for burning calories include weeding, digging, spading, planting, pruning, mowing, raking, and walking.
Many of us do not realize the amount of healthy exercise that we can get while working outside in the garden. It involves a lot of walking back and forth as well as bending up and down along with other things. Being out in the fresh air and sunshine are also an added benefit. Incorporating stretching into a gardening routine may help to prevent injury, much like it does for any athletic endeavor. Adding those squats will contribute to building or maintaining muscle, and extra steps may make gardening more aerobic if it increases the heart .
Zone6design wants to give our readers a few simple structured stretches and breathing exercises to get you on the path to protecting and strengthening your body while enjoying what we hope is one of your favorite pastimes:
Before gardening, put on comfortable clothes that don’t restrict your movement. You should be able to squat, kneel, and stretch freely.
Organize your work area, plants, and materials as neatly as possible so you are not making unnecessary twists or walks to get things you need.
Gardening is a workout. You can learn to organize your movements into a productive physical as well as aesthetic pursuit. Lie on your back in a comfortable position, knees bent if you like.
Breathe in long slow breaths through your nose, actively sending the air down into your abdomen to expand your diaphragm and then up to expand your rib cage. Breathe out through your mouth drawing deep from your diagram before you squeeze your ribs together to exhale completely Wait a moment… and repeat.
Do this for several minutes to activate your lower back and stomach muscles, which you will use as your center of strength through all movement. Breath and abdominal muscles.
Stand up slowly on both feet. Bend your knees a few times.
Then bend over at the waste as much as you can, touch your toes if possible, and try to do a few of the deep breaths with as much concentration to form as you did on your back. Other several minutes. You are stretching your lower back and hamstrings. Bend your knees, and roll up slowly through each vertebra to standing position. Repeat a few more bend and straighten of the legs on both feet slowly. Always remember good breathing habits... Hamstrings, Quads Standing, Keeping your body in one straight line like a board, with feet a few inches apart, lean against a wall and stretch your calves. Start close, and move your feet further away from the wall as you feel a comfortable stretch, never painful. Keep the good breathing going. You are stretching your calf muscles and Achilles’ tendons. Breathe into your calves. Move through one foot and then another as if you’re running in slow motion as you stretch your lower legs to warm up the feet.
Getting to work: Now You should be ready to work mindfully, safely, and with increased strength after taking the time to prepare for a gardening workout. 15-30 minutes will make a huge difference in your performance and recovery.
When you need to lift something, use your stomach muscles and your quads that you just warmed up. Bend your knees in an upright position to lift something heavy. Never bend over to lift something and rely on your lower back thoughtlessly.
To be continued for upper body gardening warm-up:
Try to use what you learned from your lower body warm-up for your arms as well when digging and lifting. Always start with your deep muscles and then think about your arms and hands. Breathe well and use your breath. Never use your shoulder muscles for lifting. Work your way up and gain strength gradually and with concentration. It will all become easier and automatic with practice...!
And you’ll be creating a beautiful garden and a strong smart body. Creating beauty is a useful and important meditation practice 🤗
David Kulick - Zone6Design