Don't underestimate the amount of physical activity involved in gardening. Pushing a mower, digging holes, pulling weeds, carrying soil and other tasks use muscle groups throughout the entire body. Recent research found that gardening tasks that work both upper and lower body count as moderate-intensity physical activity, while those that worked primarily the upper body were considered low-intensity physical activity. Time spent gardening contributes to getting the recommended 60 minutes of daily physical activity for adults. (Park, S.A., Shoemaker, C.A., & Haub, M.D. (2008). A preliminary investigation on exercise intensities of gardening tasks in older adults. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 107[3] 974-980.)

Source: ParticipACTION E-Newsletter, April 2009