Work Out in Your Backyard on National Gardening Exercise Day

This article was written by Ivy Jacobson.

Summer is the time to get in shape. It's also the time to break out your rakes, shovels and mowers.

So, it's fitting that National Gardening Exercise Day comes early in the summer on June 6. Gardening is surprisingly similar to working out—you are doing physically demanding work outside that burns calories, and you should have your sneakers on and plenty of water in hand. 

National Gardening Exercise Day brings awareness to the fact that gardening should be treated as a physical activity for which you should know how to warm up and cool down. Michael Perry, M.D., medical director of the Laser Spine Institute, suggests mixing up your gardening routine like you would a workout so you don't overexert yourself in one position for too long.

"Plan out your gardening for the day so that you can vary your position between standing and sitting," Perry said. "You also want to take breaks and don’t want to sit, bend or strain in any way too long. If you are sitting, find a stool or some padded support for your knees so the bending doesn’t take a toll on your knees and hips. You also want to get up close to the area you are working so you don’t stretch or overextend your body."

If you're using heavy hedge trimmers or mowers, it's also important to remember to practice good posture and lift the tools in a way that allows you to balance the weight properly.

"It is common to see injuries when incorrectly carrying something or picking something up," Perry said. "Know your limitations and consider how much weight you can truly carry and use proper mechanics when doing any lifting. That means to be sure to use your quadriceps versus your back when lifting. If you’re carrying something and rotate or pivot in a certain way, that can put stress on your body as well."

Treating gardening like a true workout is a great way to mix up your regular exercise routine—as long as you remember to warm up. 

"You want to stretch the lumbar and abdominal muscles, legs and quadriceps, and should stretch to loosen the ligaments and muscles in order for you to experience less discomfort and to keep you limber," Perry said.

And the best part of any workout? Cooling down. Relish your hard work by slowing down and going back inside to enjoy the air conditioning and a hot shower to help with sore muscles.