The Gardening Nook

It seems as long as we can remember we have been digging up our Gardens every year to start the cycle all over again. Even as a kid I remember the annual rites of digging up the weeds and fixing the border stones of the garden beds that were moved with the thaw each spring. The big bags of peat moss being dropped off by our local White Rose Store (who have since gone out of business) it's a ritual everywhere in the world, funny enough what we are now starting to get a better handle on, is that all the lifting and digging and pulling and cutting and..well you get the picture.. is actually good for us? Go figure. Now that is what I call a win win situation. We get the look and smell of those wonderful flowers and to top it off we get some really great physical benefits as well.

Believe it or not Gardening is a great form of exercise. Of course how many calories you burn depends on the type and length of what you are doing. Light relaxed gardening may burn 300 calories an hour. This is similar to a moderate walk or a game of golf. But like any form of exercise, if done improperly, it may cause problems for your body.

As with jogging, tennis, or any exercise, do some warm-ups before getting started, seriously the Garden stretch. This may include walking around the block to get the circulation going, gentle head rolls from side to side, side bends, forward lunges, and squatting. Depending on what you will be doing in the garden, you may use, and so need to loosen up, the biceps (front of upper arm), triceps (back of upper arm), deltoids (shoulder muscles), trapezius (upper and middle back), and latissimus dorsi (upper back).

When you begin, do the easier tasks first like some weed pulling and cleaning up around the flower beds, before more strenuous activity, such as heavy digging. Please remember rule number one, don't do heavy lifting with your back. This is the major cause of back problems. Bend down using your legs instead. Strong abdominal muscles will help your lower back, hmm well that explains my bad back :-).

If you'll be doing some heavy lifting and digging, you may wish to warm up with some sit-ups. You may do partial sit-ups called trunk flexion. Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat on ground. With hands behind your neck, curl your head and chest forward, raising only your shoulder blades. Hold for a few seconds, then release and rest, then repeat a few more times.This is the sort of thing you want to do in your house not out on your front lawn, trust me on this one.

If you'll be working on the ground for long periods, such as weeding and planting, don't do it bending over. This will put too much stress on your back. Instead squat or kneel down. I often kneel on one knee, frequently rotating between knees. You may find a kneeling cushion or knee pads (check out this site for some great prices on knee pads, www.thegardenook.com) helpful.

As with all things you do more so exercise listen to your body as you garden. If you start feeling aches or fatigue in certain muscles, it's time to rest and take a break. There is no rule that says everything has to be done in one day, or even one weekend, enjoy your time with nature.

Ok moving on, on this site you will find information and articles about every type of Gardening, if you don't see something that interests you well why not drop us a note to include on the site. We will give you full rights and who doesn't like to see their name in print? So sit back read to your heart's content and come back to visit us often as we are always adding new content.

Thanks.