Your garden – the perfect outdoor gym

Exercise is an essential part of life, but not always the most appealing. And who wants to slog away in the gym when the sun is shining? At this time of year, your own back garden can be the ideal place to achieve a great mind and body workout.

Most people are aware of the physical workout that they can get from gardening, but are often unaware of just how vigorous a work out that might be. Consider then that an hour of gardening can use as many calories as jogging 4 miles – and that puts things into perspective.

As well as the physical benefits of a workout, time in the garden can have a really positive effect on your mental health – something that is often overlooked. There is nothing quite like being surrounded by nature for creating a calm, relaxed state of mind helping you to let go of the pressures and anxieties of everyday life.

Some of the benefits can include:

• Getting you moving
• Helps to spark creativity
• Reduces stress by helping you to relaxed
• Great form of functional exercise
• Helps improve flexibility, balance and sensory perception
• Boosts endorphins – those ‘feel-good’ hormones
• Helps to cultivate a healthier heart

Unfortunately, gardeners often use techniques that aggravate the body and they also often garden in concentrated bursts. Doing this, especially when you are not fit, can create problems in particular for backs, shoulders and necks. To help you prevent injuries and get the best out of your gardening it’s worth making sure that your spine is working well. That is where your chiropractor can help.