Laboring In The Garden: Shockingly, Gardening Is Good Exercise

Today is Labor Day here in the US. It is a day meant to remember those who have helped to literally build this nation, frequently with only their hands, sweat and a minimum wage paycheck. t

Peter J. McGuire, one of the founders of Labor Day was quoted as saying it was a day to honor people “who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold.” While I am sure that he was referring to the working man and woman, it sure sounds like to me that he might have been talking about gardeners as well.

Labor Day weekend does tend to find us out in the garden, scurrying around trying to finish what we left undone all summer long. We gardening types know that Labor Day means that cooler temperatures will be coming soon. We labor an awful lot on Labor Day, trying to make our grandeur a little more grand before we are forced back into our houses by winter.

I have to admit, gardening is just about the only exercise I get. There are probably quite a few gardeners out there who are like this. Me personally, I always knew that gardening was good exercise and that it was as good or better than the traditional “good for you, but boring as hell” exercises. But apparently, scientists and the agencies that fund them were unconvinced by the obvious and did a study.

Guess what they discovered. Gardening is as good for you or better than traditional exercises. *sheesh* Next time they want to do a study like that, they can just forward me the funding checks and I will be happy to reassure them that these are the facts.

Oh, yeah… the study also found indications that gardening may help with your mental health as well. I am sure they are planning on doing a study on that one too, because it has not been proven conclusively by a study budgeted at over $1,000,000. And here is my chance to make a fortune… any of you government and private agencies out there who are thinking of funding that study, please send your checks to Hanna in Cleveland instead. Because I am here to tell you *DUH!*, of course it is good for mental health. Nothing helps take your mind of problems like being able to viciously rip weeds out of the ground.

And while we are on the subject of weeding, believe it or not, weeding burns 364 calories an hour! I’ve been on stationary bikes that burned less than that.

So all this laboring in our gardens is good for us. It makes us feel good, look good and our gardens are so much more satisfying to look at than Suzi, the 21-year-old, 110 pound spinning instructor. I think we gardeners get the better end of the gym deal, don’t you?

BTW, for all you guys and gals out there who are one of those who builds what the rest of us use, Thank You. I appreciate your hard work.