The gardening habit most people skip

​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.
​

Watch the video now!

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 comment below to let me know.​
​
Stay well and happy moving,
Lisa