Page 48 Gardening - Sláinte Magazine
’ y g e e ‘gr OOR D R U O Y E D I S T OU
In his latest article for Sláinte, award-winning horticulturist Fiann Ó Nualláin explains how keeping at those regular garden chores can provide all the exercise you need to help keep you in tip-top shape.
We’re now well and truly into the year,
causes some 2 million deaths each
so are all your New Year fitness
year. Walking, cycling and leisure
Bur th calorie!
resolutions still full steam ahead… or
activities such as dance classes are
OK, so if you are new to gardening,
barely afloat? It’s the nature of good
great ways to get fit – and so, of
some of it can be quite strenuous.
intentions to begin losing momentum.
course, is gardening, with a new and
But you work to your own pace and
But don’t worry, there is a simple and
growing recognition that the different
it is the everyday tasks that
pleasurable solution – get yourself
tasks involved in gardening provide
contribute to physical regime.
not only aerobic exercise, but also
Mowing your lawn with a push
isotonic and isometric exercise, too!
mower is a cardiovascular workout
some garden-grown fitness! We’re always being encouraged to
but also burns calories (up to 360
improve the quality of our lives and
This trinity of exercise modes boosts
calories an hour), while manual
boost our health by practicing regular,
strength, endurance and flexibility. In
weeding and hedge trimming with
moderate physical activity. With the
fact, gardening is one of the best all-
shears can burn an equivalent
obesity crisis and the ballooning incidents of
round exercises, competing with
amount. Raking has the potential to
cycling, swimming and walking in
burn around 320 calories an hour,
helping prevent heart disease, obesity,
while more strenuous tilling or
diabetes, depression, fatigue, cancer
digging can burn up to 400 calories
and osteoporosis.
per hour. A mix of activities will burn calories more effectively and also
Your ‘gree gy’ The best thing is that the garden as
diabetic, cholesterol, and blood pressure-related
a green gym is a sustainable gym.
Buildin muscle
There are no fees, no traveling there
As for building muscle mass, did
and back, no nagging sense of
you know that a watering can with a
obligation – just a pastime that
gallon of water in each hand is
brings pleasure, aesthetic reward
equivalent to the 8-pound
and numerous health benefits. The
dumbbells in your local gym? I am
green gym burns calories, build
not advocating you do a weightlifting
muscle, de-stresses the mind…
workout with two full watering cans,
and it’s all just outside your door.
but you can seek out the hidden
Gardening, rich in fresh air and
in everyday garden tasks.
exercise and workout opportunities
health conditions (costing the health service around 400 million
work different muscle groups.
euros a year), fitness is high on the
sunshine (you only imagine it’s
agenda. In Ireland today, nearly one
raining), is an agreeable experience
Simple jobs such as sweeping paths,
in five adults are obese and four out
before you even pick up a spade or
raking leaves and hoeing weeds
of ten are overweight. A regular,
tend to a task. It’s ‘open air’ and
brings your upper body muscles into
preferably daily, exercise regime of
‘connected to nature’ nature,
play, for example, and if you do them
just 30-45 minutes can make all
combined with the sense of purpose
regularly, will train and tone your
and achievement that gardening
biceps, triceps and deltoids along
brings, also enhances your
with the trapezius and latissimus
And it’s not just Ireland. Obesity
psychological wellbeing, which then
dorsi muscles. Aerating the lawn or
is now the most prevalent
improves your physical health.
digging over a bed benefits the lower
the World Health Organisation
And the physical activities of
strengthen your gluteus maximus
estimates that physical
gardening – digging, weeding,
and quadriceps.
the difference.
body, and can be used to tone and
childhood disease in Europe, while
inactivity
watering, pruning, and so on – all have plentiful beneficial
Who knew a few hours each week
physiological effects.
in the garden could lead to a flat
Each benefits not just the
tumy and tight buns! So why not
cardiovascular and
swap the treadmill for the
musculoskeletal systems,
lawnmower, the rowing machine for
but also the metabolic,
the rake, the leg warmers and sweat
endocrine, and
band for gardening gloves and a
immune systems.
sunscreen hat!
Slow an gradua If you are new to gardening it is best to work up gradually to your desired level of activity, rather than rush in head first and risk musculoskeletal injuries. As with any activity, it is a good idea to start by warming up – a short 10-minute walk will suffice, or a few stretches. Remember to use your legs, not your back, and bend those knees when lifting wheelbarrows or moving heavy planters. And with every other garden task, do keep good posture and positioning to maintain good back alignment and avoid injury. One way of achieving that is to keep your abdominal muscles firm, which also has the benefit of concentrating the workout effects of gardening. And you can boost the workout experience by conscious breathing techniques – exhale as you lift a heavy load, inhale as you lower it. So now you’re all set. All that’s left is for me to wish you Good Gardening… and Great Health! Fiann Ó Nualláin is an award-winning garden designer, outreach horticulturist and ethnobotanist. He has worked with many health agencies to create gardens for optimum health. You can get
HOW MANY CALORIES IN 30 MINUTES?
more information from Fiann’s website at www.inspiringgardens.ie.
GARDEN TASK: Watering lawn Watering garden Raking Bagging leaves Planting Planting trees Digging Double digging Tilling Shoveling gravel, soil or snow Laying sod Gardening with heavy power tools
CALORIES BURNED:
61 61 162 162 162 182 202 344 202 243 202 243
source: Dan Hickey, US National Gardening Association