Exercise
Gardening activities can really make you work up a sweat. Below is a chart with the number of calories burned in 30-minute intervals while doing some basic garden chores. There are also examples of other activities listed so we can see how gardening sizes up.
| Activity |
Calories burned in
30 min |
Calories burned in
1 hour |
| Weeding a garden |
160 |
320 |
| Raking leaves |
162 |
324 |
| Mowing the lawn |
162 |
324 |
| Walking |
150 |
300 |
| Cleaning |
110 |
220 |
| Shopping |
135 |
270 |
| Yoga |
120 |
240 |
| Jogging (10 min/mile pace) |
450 |
925 |
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So this means if you garden for 30 minutes a day you can burn an average of 150 calories!
TIPS TO MORE AEROBIC GARDENING EXERCISES:
 Use a push mower instead of a riding lawn mower.
Turn your soil by hand instead of using a rototiller.
Turn your compost heap regularly.
Check out www.cbsnews.com for more ways to exercise while gardening.
Safe Practices Out In the Garden
Warm up for five minutes before beginning to garden. This prevents injuries and muscle strains. When finished, take time to stretch tired muscles. This adds to flexibility and wards off aches.
Practice proper posture and stance when using gardening tools. Pay close attention to your back while lifting heavy objects, remembering to lift with your legs.
Protect hands by wearing gloves and feet by wearing closed toe shoes such as sneakers or boots.
Back to Get Healthy
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