When you talk to your weight loss surgeon about life after bariatric surgery, you will probably hear Dr. Stewart talk about the benefits of a healthy and active lifestyle. A lot of us think of this as exercising every day by going to the gym or sweating to a workout DVD at home, but really the idea of an active lifestyle is a lot broader than that.
By being more active in everything you do, you will naturally burn calories and lose weight even when you don’t have the time for the gym. You can do this by developing hobbies that require you to move around a lot, making adventure dates with your friends instead of sitting at restaurants while you chit-chat and even changing small habits so you get the most movement out of every day.
The Benefits of Gardening
Dallas offers a few benefits that a lot of other areas around the country can’t compete with when it comes to gardening, including a temperate climate and rich soil. That makes Dallas the perfect region to start a garden.
Planting a garden is almost like committing to a pet. You need to take the time to water, tend to and love the plants or else they will not grow. This requires a minimum of weekly attention, though happy plants get care daily. When you commit to a garden you will find yourself outside almost every day snipping stray leaves, pulling weeds or harvesting vegetables.
The type of garden you grow is up to you. The act of gardening will help you burn the same amount of calories whether you are growing fruit trees or marigolds. Gardening is both a physical and emotionally rewarding hobby, so plant what you want to watch grow and you will be happy.
Depending on your weight, you could burn over 200 calories while gardening for just half an hour. That would involve weeding, digging, planting and tilling in addition to the casual watering.
Here are a few tips to help you get started with your garden:
- Buy a watering can: A lot of people water their flowers with a hose, but by doing this you are cutting out potential calorie burning.
- Catch rain water: Put out a rain barrel to catch water as it falls freely onto your property. On days when it doesn’t rain, scoop the rain water with your watering can and water your flowers naturally. This will save you money too since you don’t have to pay for the rain.
- Use Knee Supports: Gardening requires a lot of bending and stooping, which is a great workout for your lower body but can be hard on your knees. Convenience stores and gardening shops all sell cushions that you can rest your knees on when you bend over.
- Get a gardening cart: There are a lot of gardening carts out there that will keep all of your supplies in one place so you don’t need to get up and down a lot while you are gardening. While getting up and down is good exercise, it can be really hard on your joints. A cart can also provide a bit of stability making it easier to move around out in the garden.
Most gardeners don’t consider growing plants a workout, but gardening is a great low-impact activity all the same. You can burn calories, relieve stress and smile by planting a garden in your backyard.
Are you gardening? Let us know in the comments below what you are growing or if you have any special tips to share with the rest of us!
