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Gardening rarely looks like exercise at first. There is no Lycra, no instructor shouting encouragement and very little chance of being handed a protein shake afterwards.
Spend an afternoon digging over a border, pushing a mower and moving bags of compost, though, and your body may have a different opinion the following morning.
So, can gardening genuinely help you get fit?
Gardening involves a surprisingly broad range of movement. Digging and shovelling work the arms, shoulders, back and legs. Pushing a lawnmower raises the heart rate. Carrying pots, watering cans and compost adds a form of resistance training, especially when the bag of compost is at the opposite end of the garden.
Even lighter jobs keep you moving. Weeding, planting, pruning and walking back to the shed for the tool you have forgotten all add activity to the day.
The NHS includes pushing a lawnmower as an example of moderate physical activity. Moderate activity should make you breathe faster, feel warmer and raise your heart rate, although you should still be able to hold a conversation.
Heavy gardening, including digging and shovelling, can also contribute towards muscle-strengthening activity.
One reason gardening can be so effective is that it rarely feels like a formal workout. You are focused on clearing the bed, cutting the hedge or finally doing something about the enormous shrub blocking the window.
Gardening also uses movements that are often missing from everyday life. You reach, bend, lift, push, pull, twist and squat. Depending on the job, you may repeatedly stand up and kneel down, although by the tenth attempt this can start to resemble a personal disagreement with gravity.
Does gardening count towards your weekly exercise?
Adults should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity each week, together with strengthening activities on two days, according to NHS physical activity guidelines.
Some gardening can contribute to that total, but the intensity matters. Sitting on a bench looking thoughtfully at the flower beds is pleasant, but it is unlikely to trouble your cardiovascular system.
What about all that bending?
Gardening can make you stronger, but it can also leave you discovering muscles you did not know existed. Change tasks regularly, alternate heavier and lighter jobs and use a kneeling pad or garden stool to minimise the risk of muscle strain. The Royal Horticultural Society also recommends treating gardening like other forms of exercise, with care taken to avoid strains and injuries.
