{"id":9398,"date":"2016-05-30T07:00:19","date_gmt":"2016-05-30T12:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.senioradvisor.com\/blog\/?p=9398"},"modified":"2017-09-19T13:30:54","modified_gmt":"2017-09-19T18:30:54","slug":"gardening-exercise-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/d30braiqprupoq.cloudfront.net\/blog\/2016\/05\/gardening-exercise-day\/","title":{"rendered":"Gardening Exercise Day"},"content":{"rendered":"

Gardening Exercise Day\"Gardening<\/h1>\n

If you\u2019ve been looking for a way to work on your azaleas and your abs at the same time, mark June 6 on your calendar. It\u2019s National Gardening Exercise Day. Holiday experts say the day\u2019s origins<\/a><\/strong> aren\u2019t quite clear, but fitness researchers say gardening can deliver real fitness benefits. Here\u2019s what gardening can do for your health, how to make the most of your time outside, and how to protect yourself from common gardening aches and pains.<\/p>\n

Burning calories in the garden<\/h2>\n

Depending on which chores you do, you can burn a surprising number of calories doing garden work. Texas A&M University\u2019s Agrilife Extension Program says<\/strong><\/a> raking, weeding, and other moderately intense chores can burn as much as 300 calories per hour, depending on your pace and your overall fitness level. Women\u2019s Health<\/em> cites<\/strong><\/a> South Korean research on garden volunteers that ranked yard work in order of intensity. Digging, raking, weeding, and mulching were the top 4 most challenging chores. Harvesting, watering, mixing growing soil, and planting seedlings were the least challenging, but the researchers still rated them as moderately intense, based on the volunteers\u2019 calorie burn and heart rate during their work.<\/p>\n

Preventing sore joints, sunburn and bug bites<\/h2>\n

You\u2019ll enjoy your time in the garden more \u2013 and feel fewer twinges and aches later \u2013 if you follow a few best practices. Weight Watchers recommends<\/strong><\/a> warming up with stretches for a few minute before you dig in to your gardening chores and again after 20 minutes or so to release any new tension in your muscles.<\/p>\n

The right form and equipment are important. Remember to bend from the knees rather than at the hips when you\u2019re lifting things to prevent back strain. If squatting and kneeling for ground-level chores is too hard on your knees, use a cushion or a low garden stool to get comfortable while you work. Lightweight and soft-grip tools can ease wrist, hand, and shoulder strain.<\/p>\n

Finally, remember that Mother Nature can be a tough workout coach. Slather on sunscreen, a hat, and sunglasses to protect your skin and eyes from UV damage. If mosquitoes are a problem in your area, use a good repellent to avoid bites and disease. Give yourself a break during the heat of the day \u2013 as we age we are more susceptible to dehydration and heat exhaustion, so mid-afternoon is a good time to relax indoors with a seed catalog or gardening book.<\/p>\n

Training for garden chores<\/h2>\n

Gardeners may not train with the intensity of marathon runners, but there are exercises you can do to make your gardening tasks easier. AARP Magazine recommends<\/strong><\/a> a simple indoor workout that includes \u201cpushups\u201d against a countertop edge, repetitions of the classic \u201cbird dog\u201d yoga pose, chair-assisted squats and adapted plank poses to boost your ability to bend, lift, rake, and haul things in your garden.<\/p>\n

Gardening when you don\u2019t have a yard<\/h2>\n

You don\u2019t need a big backyard to get into gardening for exercise. If you have a small strip of sod in front of your home, or even a porch or patio with space for a few 5-gallon buckets, you can get started. Many cities and towns run community gardens<\/strong><\/a> where locals can grow veggies, herbs, and flowers, and a growing number of senior communities are offering garden plots as a perk for their residents. If your community doesn\u2019t offer gardening space yet, consider making a request.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Gardening Exercise Day If you\u2019ve been looking for a way to work on your azaleas and your abs at the same time, mark June 6 on your calendar. It\u2019s National Gardening Exercise Day. Holiday experts say the day\u2019s origins aren\u2019t quite clear, but fitness researchers say gardening can deliver real fitness benefits. Here\u2019s what gardening can do for your health, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2198,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[200,257,35],"tags":[42,44,45],"class_list":{"0":"post-9398","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-families-caregivers","7":"category-family-friendly-activities","8":"category-senior-health-fitness","9":"tag-active-retirement","10":"tag-senior-fitness","11":"tag-senior-health"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nGardening Exercise Day - SeniorAdvisor.com Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Gardening Exercise Day is the perfect time to learn what gardening can do for your health and how to avoid common gardening aches and pains.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Gardening Exercise Day - 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