Lose Weight Gardening by Burning Calories

If you happen to be someone that hates the thought of mowing the lawn, raking or pulling weeds, maybe this will give you a different outlook. Yes, you can lose weight gardening!

Spring and summer gives you the perfect opportunity to burn calories in  more exciting ways than spending your time in a stuffy gym.  if you are someone who sits on your butt watching TV while your landscaper is out in the yard then you should realize what a good workout you are passing up.  The combination of vigorous activity, fresh air and sunshine allows you to lose weight gardening and it doesn't even feel like you're working out.

For those of you that already do your own yard work and gardening then you know that it is one of the greatest forms of exercise since it involves using your entire body.

If you want to lose weight gardening then you need to change your attitude about doing that joyous physical hobby outside.  It is not exercise.  It is not a job.  It is not a chore.  It is a fun, rewarding hobby that just happens to help you burn a whole lot of calories.

If you have been fairly inactive all winter and you have now decided that you want to lose weight gardening, it is advised that you start out slowly.  You can even ask veteran gardeners and they will tell you the first few days of bending, lifting and moving....you will feel it.  My arms still get sore every time I push my Reel lawnmower around my yard every week.

Start out with watering, weeding and planting seeds and then as you feel your body get stronger, increase your tasks to heavy digging, pruning, hoeing, pushing a wheelbarrow and mowing the lawn.

Every task you perform outside is a potential calorie burned. You can ultimately burn from 300 to 600 calories per hour while you are gardening, depending on your intensity level.  Below is how many calories a person of 175 pounds will burn per hour.  So, if you weigh more then you will burn more calories and if you weigh less then your burned calories will be a bit less.

So how many calories can you burn?

• Watering the garden or lawn - 114
• Raking - 324
• Bagging up leaves - 324
• Planting seeds - 324
• Planting trees - 364
• Weeding - 364
• Cleaning land - 404
• Spading and digging - 404
• Laying sod - 404
• General gardening - 404
• Chopping Wood - 486
• Mowing the lawn with a push mower - 486
  

• When you are starting out, two hours of work at a time is plenty.  Do not overdo it!
• Do not try to lift things that are too heavy or you will injure yourself.
• It is a good idea to do a bit of light stretching before and after.
• Do not remain on your knees pulling weeds for too long.  Get up and move.  Think of the weeds as your "rest" job.
• Try to get out and work in your yard and garden at least three or four times every week.
• When summer is gone, continue your exercise routine by raking leaves and shoveling.

You can lose weight gardening so why pay someone else to do it?  Get out and enjoy your yard this summer!