Exercises for Garden Fitness

It is important for anyone to be physically ready for gardening fitness and starting early with some simple exercises can help. Let me share with you a few of the exercises I do to prepare for gardening fitness before tackling spring gardening.

Start early with simple exercises

About 4 weeks prior to the spring season, I start with some simple exercises:

Back roll - Sit on the floor with knees to chest and arms around legs, back rounded. Roll back on the floor, making a smooth rocking motion on the rounded back until the shoulders are on the floor, then rock back up to a sitting position. Repeat about 15 times. This aligns the spine as does the "roller table" in a chiropractor's office. Be sure not to put any strain on the neck or excessive pulling on the shoulder blades.

Back stretch - 1

Lie on your back flat on the floor and pull knees up to chest, stretching lower back muscles and buttocks. Hold for a slow count of 5. Relax feet flat on the floor with knees bent. Repeat 5 times.

Back stretch - 2

In a position of hands and knees on the floor, slowly allow your back to "sag" to a comfortable position while raising the head to a comfortable height. (DO NOT BOUNCE the back.) Hold for a slow count of 5. This feels really good! Then slowly "arch" the back upward as far as possible while lowering the head. Exhale and draw abdomen in as tight as possible. Hold for a slow count of 5. Repeat both motions 5 times.

Upper body stretch

While standing upright, I will do various arm and side stretches; nothing strenuous, just stretching and holding for a slow count of 5.

Treadmill

I will walk 5 to 8 minutes each morning on my home treadmill. I start with a relatively slow speed for the first 1 to 2 minutes and work up to a good "clip" by 4 minutes or so, then slowly decrease speed to a comfortable walk to end. Using the treadmill morning and afternoon is even better for me; however, I just do not seem to "remember" in the afternoon a lot of times!

These simple exercises can be accomplished in a short period of time and do not seem like much compared to my younger friends that have memberships to the local Recreation Center or Curves, but they do work for me and I don't even have to leave home! My arthritic joints could not tolerate the workouts the younger women do.

Since I will not keep up these exercises all year long (as I know I should) just starting them a few weeks before I start the spring yard work keeps me from having to visit the Chiropractor. After many repeats to his office, I have finally learned something about being smarter and being prepared!