Let's Get Physical....with Gardening :)

In looking at one of my gardening magazines recently, I was delighted to find this article. May this encourage you to do more yard work or if you are already a "worker" in the yard you will be happy to read this information.....I was!

"Gardening activities are a great way for a person to meet the recommended moderate-intensity physical activity of at least 30 minutes a day five days a week," says Barbara E. Ainsworth at the University of South Carolina School of Public Health. According to her research, a 180 pound man will burn 326 calories and a 132 pound woman will burn 240 calories gardening for one hour. While digging for 30 minutes, a 140 pound person burns 159 calories. Weeding and planting seeds each burns 143 calories.

According to a recent study at the University of North Carolina, gardners spent 17.2 percent less per year on health-care services than non-gardners. Gardening increases bone density and can help prevent osteoporosis in women over 50. Dr. Lori Turner, Associate Professor at the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville, discovered that women who garden weekly have stronger bones than those who jog, swim, walk, or do aerobics - thanks to the weight bearing motions of digging, pulling weeds, and pushing a mower. Plus, "gardening was the No.1 activity that women enjoyed," she says.

I have to say that I love gardening and exercise is just a wonderful side benefit for me. I will also say that after a day of working outside or even a half a day I am sore and that last time of getting up off my knees or pulling that last weed, I am walking very slowly to the house and my first stop is a hot soaking bath. I don't understand this, that as much as I work in the yard I still have sore muscles every time.

I was looking over my notebook on herbs and was reminded of this way to preserve herbs. You can cut up whatever herb your wanting to preserve and put it in an ice cube tray and cover it with water. After it is frozen, put the cubes in freezer zip lock bags. This is another way to preserve herbs if you don't want to dry them.