Most people are completely unaware of how much of their daily movement affect their overall health. With a little insight, one can begin to pay closer attention to how their own hobbies and lifestyle can be maximized for the benefit – both in relation to mind and body.
Gardening and yard work, in general, has an amazing array of benefits you may want to pay close attention to. Not only is getting out in the fresh air and being exposed to the sun wonderful for your body, but the consistent movements also target muscles groups and can burn a significant amount of calories. Your brain is also in a state of activity, which is excellent for mental health purposes as well.
Why Working in Your Yard is Good for Your Health
If you have a specific fitness goal for your days, such as calorie count, or steps taken, don’t include what working in a yard or garden can do for you. Lower impact movements as you walk, plant, weed, or otherwise maintain garden beds and lawns have you bending, twisting, and moving your main muscle groups to loosen them up and keep them warm.
This increases blood flow and body temperature, which increases oxygen flow which is excellent for both body and mind. This decreases stress on the heart as well, and as you make your yard work a habit, improves heart function over time (as any consistent movement will do) and improves body elasticity and tone.
Movements and Muscles
As mentioned, your movement works for muscle groups, and there are some very specific targets you pay attention to if you are looking to improve overall strength and tone. These can be applied year-round in many areas, and even if winter hits you hard- look at it as an extra challenge. Shoveling and snow blowing targets legs, upper body, arms, and your back muscles, and is a great way to get your steps in for the day. A great source for snow blowers can help you get what you need to be effective during this season.
Mowing the lawn and weed whacking is similar to your winter chores in that is has you engaging our arms, back, and legs. Using these types of machinery may feel like it makes your job super easy, but if you have ever count steps while you mow, you will be surprised at how quickly they add up. You also are loosening your back and arms, and taking in the vibration of the machine as well- creating a resistance burn.
Weeding, planting, digging, and raking in your garden beds will have you working your arms, back, abs, and legs as you bend, pull, and push. This can help loosen tight muscles, increase flexibility, and provide light muscle resistance for increased tone.
Calorie Burn
Calorie burn is a somewhat subjective subject simply because there are so many variables that can affect a person’s calorie burn each day. Age, weight, muscle, diet, etc are all factors that can be considered, but for the most part, a sedentary day for a woman between the ages of 30 and 50 burns 1800 calories on average, and 2300 calories on average for a man.
Just getting out in the yard increases this count substantially, with lawnmowing burning between 250 and 350 calories an hour, and basic gardening burning up to 250 calories an hour. This is well worth considering since these chores are typically a part of a regular routine. If a garden or yard care is something you source out, you may want to consider taking care of it on your own instead to reap the benefits.
Eating Healthy and Your Brain
There are also other amazing perks to take advantage of the minute you begin taking your yard and garden seriously. Even if you don’t have a lot of space, you can grow a few choice vegetables and fruits to save not only on your grocery budget but provide year-round healthy choices (as container gardening can be taken advantage of indoors as well).
Not only will your body be fed, but your mind as well, since fresh foods provide many vitamins and nutrients your body needs to function. These also increase the uptakes of certain minerals for brain health. Altogether, this creates a wonderfully healthy scenario that has your body at work, and your body and mind being fed.
Gardening itself also stimulates brain function as it problem solves and works through steps. In fact, doctors have studied the effects of yard work and gardening on dementia patients, with some seriously positive results that help wards off agitation and anxiety many of them suffer from. The resulting blood flow to the brain, as well as the multitasking and problem solving that, occurs with gardening and yard work, is a beneficial side effect to help with focus and task completion.
What Are You Waiting For?
Don’t include what gardening and yard work can do for you. Everything from warming your body up, to increasing flexibility, toning muscles, and stimulating a healthy body and brain can all be achieved through the regular care of your property. The increased blood flow of the regular movement alone is stepped in the right direction to build better circulation through your body, and stimulate brain function- not to mention the problem solving and cognitive thinking that occurs while you work and plan in your yard.
Muscle targets, stretching, and the resulting calorie burn helps you meet daily goals, plus you get the fresh air and sunshine so beneficial to a healthy lifestyle. And if a veggie bed is something you have explored, the fresh foods are amazing for your diet (and help save on grocery bills!). So, what ARE you waiting for? Supplement a healthy body and brain with the care of your own yard – and if you happen to live where this might be a challenge, consider volunteering at a local green spot, or community garden- where you are paid in fresh produce!
