Hi Reader,

As we move into the thick of gardening season and spend more time outdoors tending to our yards, flower beds, and vegetable gardens, it can be helpful to ask ourselves a simple question:

How am I preparing my body for these activities?

For many people, gardening is a labour of love.

We look forward to the warmer weather, the longer days, and the opportunity to get our hands in the dirt.

What we don't always look forward to is how our bodies might feel afterward.

A few hours of weeding, digging, planting, or hauling bags of soil can leave us feeling stiff, sore, or simply more tired than expected.

One reason for this may be that we often jump straight into gardening without preparing for the movements we're about to do.

When we think about warming up, many of us associate it with sports, exercise classes, or going for a run.

But gardening is a physical activity too.

This is something I see every spring.

After spending much of the winter moving one way, we suddenly head outside and ask our bodies to spend hours kneeling, bending, reaching, carrying, and working close to the ground.

It's no wonder things can feel a little uncomfortable afterward.

That doesn't necessarily mean anything is wrong.

More often, it means our bodies appreciate having a chance to ease back into these movements.

If you've spent most of the morning sitting, driving, or working indoors, gardening can feel a little like asking your body to go from zero to sixty.

That's why I like to think about warming up a little differently.

Not as injury prevention.

As a rehearsal.

A warm-up gives us a chance to practice the very movements we're about to do.

It helps us reconnect with bending, reaching, kneeling, carrying, and all the other tasks that gardening asks of us.

In this week's Real Moves for Real Life Garden Edition video, I share seven simple movements that can help prepare your body for gardening season.

Think of it as a few minutes of preparation that could make your time in the garden feel a whole lot better.

And the best part?

You likely already have the equipment.

Using a broom handle, rake, shovel, or dowel, we move through a series of exercises designed to prepare the shoulders, hips, spine, hands, and legs for the demands of gardening.

Together, we practice:

• Shoulder mobility for lifting, carrying, and reaching
• Hip hinging for bending forward more efficiently
• Gentle neck and upper-body mobility
• Lunging and kneeling patterns for getting closer to the ground
• Rotation and side-bending movements
• Hand and grip preparation for pruning, digging, and yard work

None of these movements are complicated.

In fact, that's the point.

Simple, intentional movement before gardening can help you feel more prepared and more confident heading into your outdoor tasks.

And perhaps just as importantly, it gives your body a more gradual transition into activity rather than asking it to do everything all at once.

So before you head outside this week, consider taking a few minutes to rehearse the movements you'll be using.

Your garden will still be there.

And your body may thank you for it.

I'd love to hear from you:

Which of the seven movements surprised you the most?

Watch the video and hit reply to let me know.

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Stay well and happy moving,

Lisa

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Supporting you in your physical activity journey.

​www.lisaworkman.com​