The flowers are back in bloom, and that means it’s time to dust off your gardening tools.
If you’ve never done any kind of gardening before, you may want to give it a chance.
Not only can it be enjoyable, but it’s good for your health, too.
“Gardening is exercise. It works your strength and it’s weight-bearing exercise, so it’s really good for osteoporosis prevention,” explained Dr. Deborah Benzil, neurosurgeon for Cleveland Clinic. “I really like to think of gardening as the perfect exercise, particularly as we get older; that is past 30 or 35 when we really have to start thinking about these things.”
Benzil said other perks of gardening include the fact that it doesn’t really feel like exercise.
Plus, you get to spend time outdoors, which research has shown can benefit your mental health.
There’s also a sense of accomplishment from seeing the fruits of your labor.
While gardening can be low-intensity, it’s still important to make sure you are taking the proper precautions to avoid injury.
Benzil said to try not to hunch over, which can put a strain on your back.
Instead, kneel down or use a stool to sit on as you’re planting.
And, don’t forget to do some stretching first.
“Just like any exercise, you need to build up to it, you need to prepare for it. You want to stretch a little bit before and it’s really important to stretch after you’ve done gardening,” she advised. “Again, just like any exercise, when you’ve twisted and turned, take that 5 or 10 minutes to really allow your body to settle back into its normal positions by doing those gentle stretches.”
It’s also important to be careful when lifting heavy mulch or soil. That’s another easy way to hurt yourself.
Benzil suggests using a wheelbarrow or keeping the bags at waist level on a shelf or truck bed, for example, so they’re easier to carry.