Do you remember the old days when people actually used to mow and care for their own lawns and gardens? One of the main reasons why people are out of shape today is because they do not do the physical activities they did before. People today have such busy schedules that they most often have hired hands do all of the necessary chores around their homes. Little by little we have made our opportunities for burning calories disappear. Here are four easy steps to beautifying our yards that will also help us lose weight and stay in shape.
1) Mowing your lawn. Mowing the average lawn can cause a person to burn between 200-400 calories. Lets remember, we are talking about a lawn mower that you push with your own two feet. Pushing a fifty pound lawn mower across a yard for fifteen to twenty minutes can be quite a good workout. You will use your full body from head to toe and will battle the resistance of the lawn all along the way.
2) Sweeping the walkways around the yard. Sweeping the walkways around the perimeter of the yard is a little easier than mowing the lawn but will give you an opportunity to bring up your heart rate. By doing a sweeping motion with your arms and holding the broom you are giving your upper body a much needed cardio kick. Over time, you will not only see results in your yard but in your arms shape as well.
3) Pruning the bushes and trees. Pruning the bushes and trees can be very therapeutic as well as a great workout. At this point, you can use pruning the trees as a cool down period. You will no longer be working at a fast pace. You can take this time to sit in the shade or a soft place near a tree or shrub that you can easily reach. Take deep breaths in and out, and continue to strategically pull dead leaves and weeds that are out of place. Keep a cold bottle of water handy to stay hydrated and be careful to never over do it.
4) Water the lawn. At this point, your work as well as workout, is virtually over. Enjoy the mist of the water hose as you give your yard and yourself a well deserved drink of water. This is the point when you can be glad that your exercise is over and be proud of the beautiful yard that you have transformed.
There are no excuses. Anyone can do this or at least some form of it. Feel free to interchange or substitute a step with something that may be more suitable for your yard. The most important part is that you remain active in your life. By being active and eating in moderation we will guarantee ourselves great results.