We are only 5 weeks away from June 6, which is National Gardening Exercise Day that 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. National Gardening Exercise Day is intended to recognize the important physical health benefits of gardening. In reality, gardening is exercise. Experts say the various activities and tasks of gardening ultimately uses all of the major muscle groups. 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. Everyday gardening will burn 300 calories per hour, the same as walking, golfing, or other low-impact exercises. If you get into heavy yard work, you can double the calorie burn, which is as good as running, cycling, or strenuous interval training.