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Swabbing the decks
Swabbing has taken on something of a different meaning in the past two years, this type is gag-free. Well, if you get to it in time, that is: otherwise you may have slick, swampy green sludge to contend with, which is a slip-hazard. You could, of course, hire a pressure washer to deal with your patio, paving or decking, but putting in the elbow grease with soapy water and a scrubbing brush will use up about 400 calories.
Laying turf
Winter is an ideal time to lay turf: members of your household are less likely to spend time on the grass, which means that it will have time to settle and take root before the party and barbecue traffic of warmer weather. Better yet, although you can’t lay turf on frozen ground, frost won’t do freshly-laid turf any harm. As for the effort involved, the job will use around 320 calories in an hour.
Harvesting vegetables
If you’ve played your sowing cards right, you’ll be feasting on kale, broccoli, leeks, parsnips, cauliflower and, of course, Brussels sprouts, all winter. Picking crops packs a substantial punch in terms of health and wellbeing: as well as eating homegrown, zero miles food, you’ll also be using up about 250 calories in an hour.
According to Gareth Allen, personal trainer and owner of Studio Twenty 3, gardening falls into the category of ‘NEAT’ – Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis. This, he explains, is burning calories through movement outside of structured exercise and accounts for 15 to 20 per cent of our daily calorie expenditure, unlike EAT (Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) which tends to account only for about 5 per cent.
“We walk, stand and climb stairs every day,” he says. “We don’t necessarily work out every day, and some gardening jobs are actually very strenuous.” Working alongside Draper Tools for a study on how effective gardening can be for fitness, compared to a gym workout, Allen advises gardeners against “planning to do too much in one day. You should also schedule regular breaks, stay hydrated and not spend too long in one position – bedding plants, for example.” He also recommends stretching at the end of a gardening session to help the body recover.
This article is kept updated with the latest information.
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