The Garden Workout

New Year's Resolution to Eat Right and Exercise? Do Both in the Garden!

By John Hershey
Freelance Writer

The seasons change in the garden, but the debate over health care reform still rages on in Washington. For all the complex proposals to "bend the curve" of the unsustainable increases in medical costs, nearly everyone seems to tacitly acknowledge that this is very difficult to do by tinkering with the kind of incremental reforms you have to settle for to get Joe Lieberman's vote. There is one thing that would probably make huge difference: a massive nationwide shift toward healthy living, so we would need less treatment for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and other health problems in which lifestyle can be a factor. But there is really not much the government can do to affect people's eating and exercise choices. This conundrum probably makes our policymakers frustrated and depressed enough to binge on a quart of Ben & Jerry's.

The government has plenty of programs to promote wellness. One hopes they do some good, but efforts like the confusing food pyramid ("Ooh, sweets and fats are right at the top — they must be the most important things to eat!") don't inspire much confidence. And of course the federal government could change the system of subsidies that promote bad eating by making processed food cheap, so we should keep pushing for that. But Congress can't legislate healthy diets. The President isn't going to issue an executive order mandating 30 minutes of daily cardiovascular exercise. The best thing our leaders can do is probably just set a good example,

which is why Michelle Obama's White House vegetable garden has been so effective in promoting healthy living.

Since personal lifestyle choices cannot and should not be dictated by the government, the success of efforts to provide better health care to more people ultimately depends on a shift not in policy but in society. "You have to change the whole culture around [food]," said Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, one of President Obama's top health care advisers, in a recent interview with the Washington Post. "That's even more complicated than how to change the health-care system, if you can believe it."

If the government can't improve the nation's health by changing its food culture, who can accomplish this extremely complicated task? People. Individuals growing and eating healthy food, especially when they do it together in community gardens. Every garden and every gardener plays a role in solving this key public health problem.

But the garden is also the solution to the other part of the problem: exercise. The physical activity you do in the process of growing your own nutritious food will also keep you healthy. So if you're like me and your new year's resolution to exercise more and eat better is still gnawing at your conscience two months into the year, the garden is the perfect place to accomplish both goals.

The normal activities of planting and tending a garden involve some nice light exercise. But you can get a more vigorous workout too. Here are some garden fitness tips that can easily be adapted to any age or fitness level. But first, the standard exercise disclaimer: Consult your physician before beginning an exercise program. Stop if you feel short of breath. And try not to drop the watering can on your head.

1. Sell the rototiller. Not only does it kill beneficial earthworms, it's like driving a car when you could ride a bicycle. Muscle power is better for you and the environment. Turn or loosen your soil gently with a pitchfork for a good cardiovascular and whole body workout.

2. Weeding squat. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Keeping your back straight, lower your hips so your thighs are parallel to the ground and you can reach the weed with your hand. Grab it and stand back up to pull it out. Repeat with the other 999 weeds in your garden.

3. A rake or hoe is a barbell. hold it on your shoulders, behind your head, and do abdominal twists, squats, and lunges, then lift it straight up over your head a few times. In a gym with a cold metal bar, this is called the military press. Out here in the garden, with a natural wooden rake, it's the horticultural press. Doesn't that sound nicer?

4. My watering can weighs 16 pounds when full. That's a dumbbell! Actually it's more like a kettlebell, the trendy Russian exercise device that looks like a cannonball with a handle. You can buy one for anywhere from $25 to $100. Or you can get a plastic watering can with a comfortable handle for about five bucks, and fill it up to any level you like, precisely calibrating the perfect weight for you. Just using the can to water your plants is good arm exercise, and by adding some watering can curls, presses, squats, and lunges, you have a quick, whole-body workout. Google "kettlebell" and you'll find lots of workout routines you can do with a watering can. My favorite is called the Turkish Get-up. To do it, lay down on your back in the garden. Be careful not to squash the beets. Or beat the squash, for that matter. Hold your full watering can by the handle with one hand, and lift it straight up so your arm is vertical. Keeping the can in that position, stand up however you can. Still holding the can above your head, lay back down again. Switch arms and repeat. Do as many repetitions as you can or until all the other gardeners have gathered around your plot, staring at you with worried expressions and wondering if they should call 911. The one downside of this exercise is that you look completely ridiculous doing it, but just explain what you're doing and get everyone involved. Now you have a group of fitness partners to keep you motivated. The best part: unlike an expensive kettlebell, the watering can features an automatic cooling and self-adjusting weight system. Inevitably some water will slosh out onto your head when you perform the move, which keeps you cool and lightens the load a bit for your next repetition.

5. Chopping compost material is a great way to work up a sweat and work the upper body. Talk about motivation: the finer you chop your material, the faster it will turn into beautiful compost for your garden.

These are just some ideas to get started. There is no limit to the exercises you can do while gardening. Unlike a snooty health club, it's free, you're out in the fresh air, and no one is wearing spandex. And I prefer the aroma of aged compost to aged sweatsock any day.

“The garden workout” originally appeared in The Underground News and is reprinted with the author’s permission. To read more garden-variety humor and commentary, visit John's website: www.rakishwit.com.