Get your fitness fix: Exercises to prepare you for spring gardening

March 27, 11:48 AMPortland Fitness ExaminerAdrienne Stauffer

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AP Photo/Ron Edmonds

My fellow Examiner Penny Harmon, the Portland Gardening Examiner, has provided us with an excellent gardening tip: get in shape before gardening. Penny, I couldn’t agree more!

Not everybody is into exercising for the sake of exercise, but fitness opportunities lurk in all sorts of everyday activities, and gardening is certainly one of these. I have compiled some useful exercises that will help you get into gardening shape, prevent injury, and hopefully reduce soreness.

One to two weeks before gardening

• Strengthen your lower body. Squats and lunges will help you prepare for all the kneeling and bending required when planting.
• Strengthen your core. Abdominal crunches and other core-building exercises are especially important for heavy lifting and protecting your lower back.
• Stretch! The more limber you are when gardening season begins, the easier it will be, and the longer you can enjoy it.

Immediately before gardening

• Warm up. Your muscles need blood flow and some gentle use before you put them to work. Start with a brisk walk to clear your head and prime your muscles.

While gardening

• Use proper form. If you need to pick something up, bend your knees and lift with your legs. Not only will this help prevent injury, but it’s a great workout and will tone your muscles.
• Try to consistently engage your core with every movement. If you typically experience lower back pain as a result of gardening, this will help reduce or eliminate the discomfort.

After gardening

• Stretch! This will help reduce muscle soreness, which is likely to occur in the 24 to 48 hours after you’ve done all this hard work.
• Rewarding yourself with a hot bath is also a good way to keep the soreness away.