HI! NEW TO BOARD AND HAVE A EXCERSICE QUESTION

kat31

kat31

Cathlete
HELLO EVERYBODY I AM EXCITED TO JOIN THIS BOARD. I HAVE BEEN SNOOPING FOR AWHILE AND DECIDED TO JOIN. I HAVE BEEN WORKING OUT WITH CATHE SINCE JAN.05 AND STARTING TO SEE GREAT MUSCLE DEFINITION. I AM A ADVANCED EXCERSICER AND I ABSOLUTELY JUST LOVE CATHE'S HARDCORE SERIES. I AM ALSO AS MANY A EX-FIRM USER, THEIR PROGRAM WAS JUST NO LONGER DOING ANYTHING FOR ME. I AM FROM THE GREAT COLD TUNDRA OF MICHIGAN WHERE I DON'T THINK SPRING WILL EVER COME(STILL HAVE ABOUT 8 INCHES OF SNOW IN MY YARD!). THIS LEADS TO MY QUESTION. I AM WONDERING IF THERE ARE GARDENERS HERE AND HOW DO YOU INCORPORATE( IF YOU DO)YARDWORK INTO YOUR EXCERSICE PROGRAMS IN THE GARDENING MONTHS? SINCE GARDENING AT LEAST IN MY VERY LARGE AND MULTIPLE FLOWER BEDS IS LABOR INTENSIVE AND TAKES A CHUNK OF TIME TO COMPLETE THE UPKEEP. ALSO I HAVE TWO SMALL CHILDREN UNDER FOOT SO MY TIME HAS TO BE SHARED BETWEEN MY TRAINING PROGRAM AND GARDENING. THERE ARE JUST NOT ENOUGH HOURS IN THE DAY. ARE OTHERS IN THIS SAME SITUATION? ANY SUGGESTIONS WOULD HELP!
 
Hi Joanne! Welcome to the Board.

I'm a gardener too, and I don't incorporate my gardening into my routine. I guess I just don't count it as exercise:p Even if I spend all day out there shovelling and planting and weeding, I still do my regularly scheduled workout for that day. I probably wouldn't do weights on the same day as gardening though.

Just a hint - you might wanna turn your caps lock off;)
 
Hello and welcome :)

I do some gardening (but probably not nearly as much as you). When I do yardwork or house work, I do not incorporate this as "workout time" and still do my regularly scheduled workout. I consider it "extra" ;) but not quite a workout.

I do have a friend that uses her gardening as her leg workout. She feels that with all the squatting and lifting, etc. that this is enough of a leg workout for her. After all, it is all what you make it, I guess!

Christine
 
Hi Joanne,

Welcome to the board!

I'm an avid organic gardener with several perennial beds, as well as a substantial vegetable garden. I’m in Vermont, so a lot of the hardest work for me (and maybe for you, too) happens around late-April or early-May with winter clean up, initial weeding, mulching, tilling, pruning, dividing and moving plants, etc.

I do count this early season work as "workout time" since it so labor intensive, and there's a good chance that I'll spend 8+ hours a day doing it.

I usually take a few vacation days from work just to the bulk of this, and for the last few years, I’ve suspended my workouts briefly during that time (4 or 5 days). The work itself is physically demanding enough, especially if you’re doing it for an entire day.

I'll agree with Christine's friend, all that bending, squatting and pulling can be a pretty good leg workout, particularly for the hamstrings.
 
Hi, Joanne!
Welcome to the forum!
I garden/landscape a lot. When I bought a house, I got rid of the grass in the front yard (not huge, but two sides), had new dirt hauled in, and made my front yard into 3/4 butterfly/bird garden and 1/4 herb/veggie garden space. I also am devoting more and more of my backyard space (very shady) to garden beds.

I consider my gardening "physical activity" (expecially the "landscarping" part of it: digging huge holes, sawing off tree limbs, hauling rocks to surround my back shad beds). I don't use it in place of my regular workouts, though, since it's not that cardio intensive, and the strength work I get from it isn't balanced. I will sometimes consider my gardening as a warm-up, so I skip that part of a workout.

(I'd like to second the request that you turn off cap locks, as it looks like you're shouting, and is hard to read!;-) )
 
Hi Joanne!

I don't have a garden to speak of - just a container garden on my little patio - so I will be of absolutely no help to you there!

I just wanted to say hello and welcome to the board!

Great to have you here!

:D Nicole
 
I was just discussing this issue with my husband last night because I have already started some yard clean up here in Ohio. I love to garden and was wondering how I was going to get home from work and do my gardening and my workouts all done each day! I don't count gardening as a workout in my life simply because it's not intense enough but you know what, it's good for the soul, so I'll make time for both. Garden for an hour before it gets too dark and then into the house for my workout. (My kids are grown so it's easier for me to fit it in.) I know that's no help. Just do what you can. :)
 
The best thing I ever did in my yard to help keep my daughter out from underfoot while gardening was to put in a swingset and a climber with a slide:)
 
I want to thank everyone for the welcome! Also sorry for the caps lock being on I had my one year old daughter climbing on me and did not even notice. Alot of great advice given and I appreciate it. I do not want to jeopordize any gains I made with Cathe, so I guess I will continue as I am which is working out when I put my daughter down for her nap then moving to the garden later in the afternoon. The good part about this is that it helps me avoid being in the garden in the heat of midday( if that day ever comes ;-)). Thanks again everyone and I look forward to further chatting with you all!
 
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