The Great Gardening Gap campaign has been encouraging young people to engage with the outdoors and build their gardening knowledge, but for outdoorsy types of all ages, gardening can provide you with an amazing workout.
If you're not green-fingered already, why not take it up as a new hobby? Taking up gardening can be just as good for you as a rigorous workout, as well as being a fun and rewarding hobby to get engaged in. An hour of gardening can burn 300 calories so ditch the expensive gym membership and pick up the trowel! Digging is the highest intensity workout in the garden according to Women's Health, so if you've wanted to fix that new flower bed, then go for it!
Marianne Wilburn, author of the award winning gardening blog Small Town Gardener gave us her verdict on the health benefits of gardening.
"My gym is as close as an open door to the patio. It's always seemed ridiculous to me that so many people spend time and money on fitness centres when they could be putting time and effort into their gardens and have a beautiful space to show for it.
With the aid of a shovel and mercilessly hard soil in my garden, I rarely go a day without a pretty decent (and totally free) workout.
In my mind, balancing a wheelbarrow with a load of bricks is better than staring at a wall lifting weights any day of the week; and I just can't beat the fact that there are absolutely no perky blondes ten years my junior running around the garden in spandex!
With the sun on my back in the early spring or a cool breeze blowing as I sort through autumn tasks, I am energized and inspired. If I add a brisk 30-minute walk to surreptitiously check on neighbouring gardens, I've just given myself weights, cardio and decent looking borders without parting with a penny.
A word to the wise however: if you're going out there to work your body and your borders, wear loose fitting clothing, good solid shoes (no sandals), and textured gloves for all the 'weight lifting'.
Remember to lift with your knees, not your back; dig with your body weight, not your arms; and switch sides occasionally when you're making repetitive movements like digging or raking. Most importantly, it's all right outside your door – have fun and get fit!"
Marianne Willburn is a mother of two, a wife of one and the voice of The Small Town Gardener. She gardens and writes from her home in the scenic (and exceptionally convenient) heart of Virginia's wine country in the Eastern United States. Read more at www.smalltowngardener.com or follow her tips and gardening advice on Facebook.
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