Working on a dacha for weight loss: essential guidelines for gardeners
Gardening: A Different Kind of Physical Exertion
Don't let the serene image of a dacha fool you — gardening isn't your typical muscle-building, weight-loss powerhouse. According to fitness enthusiast, Natalia Shilova, it's not the ultimate solution for sculpting a perfect physique. Still, it does offer its unique health benefits if approached properly.
- Gardening may not be the answer to all your fitness prayers, asserted Natalia Shilova. Despite its positive effects on oxygen consumption, metabolic processes, and blood pressure, it focuses on specific muscle groups, potentially resulting in overexertion. To avoid this, it's crucial to follow basic rules.
The Unsuspecting Muscles at Work
Despite not being designed as a full-body workout, gardening engages various muscle groups:
- Back: In their bent-over position, the back, lower back, and leg muscles work together. Kneeling promotes gluteal muscles activation as well. However, prolonged static load can lead to unwanted results — no more than three minutes of static work is advisable.
- Glutes, Hamstrings, and Core: Digging and turning soil engages the gluteal muscles, hamstrings, core muscles, shoulder girdle, back, and arm muscles.
- Arm and Shoulder: Watering with a straight back mainly engages the core muscles and finger flexors, while pruning trees and bushes works the back, chest, leg, gluteal, shoulder, and arm muscles.
- Forearm and Shoulder Girdle: Hauling loads in a wheelbarrow activates the shoulder girdle and forearm muscles.
Unfortunately, gardening often involves one-sided stress. To balance things out, consider alternating the leg used to press the shovel handle and the hands. Additionally, take a 15-20 minute break every hour to let muscles relax.
Know Your Calories
An hour of gardening can burn between 180 to 350 calories, depending on the intensity of the activities.
Relax and Recover
After a day of digging and pruning, your muscles deserve some TLC. Here are three exercises to help relieve tension and prevent back, neck, and shoulder pain:
"Cat-Cow Stretch"
A basic exercise to boost thoracic spine flexibility and strengthen back muscles:
- Kneel on all fours, using a soft blanket for cushioning.
- Inhale, arch your back, bring your shoulder blades together, and look up.
- Exhale, round your back, tuck your chin to your chest.
- Repeat for 5-10 cycles.
"Book Opener"
Take a Pilates-inspired break:
- Lie on your left side with your left leg extended and your right leg resting on top, bent at a 90-degree angle.
- Inhale, slowly "open" like a book, moving your right arm to the other side while gently rotating your body.
- Exhale, return to the starting position. Repeat for 5-10 cycles on each side, either twice or three times.
"Triangle"
This pose stretches the posterior muscle chain, helping to relax the lumbar square muscle and reduce muscle spasms.
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart.
- Place your right foot at a 90-degree angle to your body, turn your left foot 45 degrees.
- Bend slightly and grasp your left leg's shin (or knee). Raise your right arm upwards.
- Hold this position for at least a minute to feel the stretch and relaxation.
- Repeat on the other side.
Take it Easy on Your Back
Restorative breathing practice can aid recovery after a hard day's work. Tell your heart rate to slow down with this simple exercise:
- Lie on your back, knees slightly bent, feet on the floor.
- Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds.
- Exhale slowly through your nose or mouth for 12 seconds. Make sure you're breathing from your diaphragm.
- Repeat for at least 10 cycles.
According to kinesiotherapist, DMITRI BUBNOVSKY, if your back hurts, place a cold water bottle on it for 5-10 minutes. "Back pain is like a bruise or a bump — cool it down to help relieve the spasm". Follow these guidelines to enjoy gardening while keeping your muscles and back happy and healthy.
Enrichment Data:Gardening might not be your traditional workout, but it still offers health benefits by involving various muscle groups, such as the shoulder, back, legs, glutes, core, and arms. By following some simple practices, gardeners can avoid overexertion:
- Prepare Before Gardening: Warm-up with exercises that focus on your back, hips, and legs. Stay hydrated to maintain physical performance.
- Ergonomic Practices: Invest in ergonomic tools, such as kneeling pads, to reduce strain on your hands and wrists. Maintain good posture by keeping your back straight and using a "tripod" position when kneeling.
- Safety Measures: Break tasks into manageable intervals to avoid fatigue and injury. Listen to your body and take regular breaks as needed.
- Natalia Shilova, a fitness enthusiast, asserts that gardening may not be the ultimate solution for sculpting a perfect physique, but it does offer unique health benefits if approached properly.
- Despite not being designed as a full-body workout, gardening engages various muscle groups such as the back, glutes, hamstrings, core, arm, and shoulder.
- To balance the one-sided stress that gardening often involves, consider alternating the leg used to press the shovel handle and the hands, and taking a 15-20 minute break every hour.
- An hour of gardening can burn between 180 to 350 calories, depending on the intensity of the activities.
- After a day of digging and pruning, exercises like the "Cat-Cow Stretch," "Book Opener," and "Triangle" can help relieve tension and prevent back, neck, and shoulder pain.
- Kinesiotherapist Dmitri Bubnovsky suggests restorative breathing practices and applying a cold water bottle on the back to aid recovery after a hard day's work in gardening.
