May Newsletter - Get Ready for Gardening
Our Top Exercises for Becoming Garden Strong!
As spring approaches we get excited for gardening season and start to prepare our indoor annuals, vegetables or any plants we're looking to protect from the threat of frost. We give them nourishment with potting soil, hydrate them and provide light for them. All of this done with the intention to get them healthy and strong before they head outdoors to their new home.
So a question we should ask ourselves is "Why am I any different than a plant?"
With a few basic exercises we can make the most out of the gardening season by developing the strength to optimally perform the demands of these outdoor tasks and enjoy an injury and pain free season.
The Exercises
These exercises were chosen by AgeRight's own certified kinesiologists and trainers and are specific to the activities and movements you'll likely perform in your garden. Your body will have to squat, bend forward (hinge), rotate, carry things, and pull/push so we've chosen exercises to prepare you for these movements. Try performing one to two sets of each exercise and see how you feel. Note that a set is just a group of repetitions; we recommend 12-15 repetitions of each exercise.
The Squat:
Helps to strengthen the lower body. This can be as simple as sitting down and getting up from a chair. The key is to control how quickly you squat down or lower yourself to sitting by focusing on slowing the movement down. There are other ways to make this or any exercise more challenging such as adding resistance, more repetitions, or increasing the range of motion. You can also make this easier by using assistance, like placing a chair in front of you for support as you get you started.
Stand with your feet parallel and a comfortable distance apart with your weight evenly distributed between both legs.
To add resistance, take a dumbbell or any weighted object in your hands in front of your chest.
Keeping your chest up, bend at your knees then hips to lower your butt down slowly towards the ground or chair behind you. Lightly touch the chair with your hips but do not sit.
Go as low as you can with control while keeping your heels on the ground. Push up to stand. Repeat.
The Hinge:
Bending forward is probably one of the most common movements in gardening but can be hard on the lower back if not done properly and if muscles fibers lack strength and endurance. This hinge exercise will help strengthen your butt muscles, hamstrings and low back.
Stand tall, with chest out and shoulders drawn back and down. Feet should be between hip-width and shoulder-width apart.
Cross your arms over your chest and place your hands on your shoulders. You can also hold a broomstick as shown below.
Then begin to hinge or bend over at your hips, pushing your butt back toward the wall behind you as you lean forward.
Keep your back flat as you hinge over and make sure to push your butt back as you hinge.
Keep your heels on the ground as you hinge. Do not let your back round.
Then lift back up to a standing position, keeping you back flat and squeezing your butt muscles (glutes) at the top, before hinging forward again.
The Carry:
No getting around this one either! Everything from buckets and bags of soil to wheel barrows - in the garden you'll have to move many things with weight in your hands.
This exercise called The Farmer's Carry will help strengthen your grip, lower body, shoulders and core while promoting good posture.
Hold a pair of dumbbells or a couple of shopping bags with household items in them for resistance.
Keep your elbows slightly bent, with your chest out and shoulders drawn back and down. Stand Proud!
Pick a distance and walk there and back. Repeat.
To increase the challenge as you feel stronger, walk further or add more weight.
There are many ways to modify these and other strengthening movements to increase or decrease difficulty for different fitness levels and abilities. Our AgeRight trainers can create a custom plan for you to become garden strong for this growing season!
Call us today
Phone: 709 754-2437
Email: info@ageright.net
*Always consult with your physician before beginning any exercise program.