Most people who work in the garden work for at least 45 minutes to an hour at a time, walking, raking, weeding and more. In the off season, find a way to walk, swim, use an elliptical or bicycle to keep your heart and lungs trained for gardening.;
, These are the abdominal, oblique (side), transverse abdominis (underlying) and back muscles. They support you as you bend, twist, pick up or complete almost any gardening activity.

Lay on your back with knees bent. Tighten your core muscles. The curve in your back should flatten slightly toward the ground. Pick up 1 knee at a time and put it back down. Pick up the opposite knee and put it back down. Repeat this motion for 60 seconds and add your opposite arms when you are ready. Do this every other day in the gardening "off-season."







, To get into the practice of bending at the knees, rather than at the waist, do the following every other day.

Put on athletic shoes that have some grip. Keep your back straight and your weight in your heels. Bend your knees and squat as low as you can without breaking form, and then repeat 10 to 12 times. Do 2 to 3 sets, increasing repetitions as your gluteal, hamstring and quadricep muscles get stronger.






Another way to do this, if you have any lower back problems, is to use a medium to large resistance ball. Place the ball on the wall, behind your back. The curve of your back should fit into the curve of the ball. Flex your core muscles and lean back into the ball as you squat. Do 10 to 12 repetitions and 2 to 3 sets.
 Get a resistance band of light resistance, which is available in most sports stores.

To do a bicep curl, put on your athletic shoes. Place the middle of the band beneath 1 of your feet. Curl the ends around your hands until the band is taught when your arms are straight. Raise your forearms until they are at a 90 degree angle and slowly lower them. Do 10 to 15 repetitions in 2 to 3 sets.






To do a tricep curl, hook the resistance band around a doorknob or shut the band into the low part of the door itself. Curl the ends of the band around your arms so they are taught with your arms at your sides. With legs at hip-distance apart, step forward with 1 foot (0.3 m) and flex your core muscles. Keep your arms straight and bring them up as high as you can, and then slowly bring your arms down. Do 10 to 15 repetitions in 2 to 3 sets.
 Gardening uses biceps, triceps, quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, abdominal and more muscles. Developing a stretching routine that you will continue into the gardening season will help you to avoid muscle strain and arthritic pain.

Do a hamstring stretch. Lay on the floor with your back straight. Lift each knee individually and hug it into your chest for 10 seconds. Repeat with the other knee. Stay on the ground and hook a towel underneath your foot. With the help of your arms, bring 1 leg as straight up as possible with your back and head on the ground. Repeat with the opposite leg.






Do a quadricep stretch. Stand next to a wall. Bend 1 knee back and grasp it with your hand. Pull lightly on your foot and you should feel a pull in your front thigh. Hold for 10 seconds and then repeat with the second side.






Do a chest stretch. Stand in a narrow doorway. Bend your elbows and place them on the inner sides of the door. Step forward 1 step. You should feel a pull in your chest and armpit. Hold for 30 seconds. Raise or lower your arms to stretch more of the muscle.






Do a gentle twist. Lay on your back with your knees bent and arms out to the sides and let your knees fall to the left side. Bring your arms to your right side. Rest in this position for 30 seconds. Bring your knees and arms back to a neutral position and then switch sides.
Get at least 20 to 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise per day.
Do abdominal marching to strengthen your core muscles.
Do squats to prepare your body to squat, rather than bend over, to pick things up in the yard.
Do bicep and triceps exercises to strengthen your weed-pulling muscles.
Get into a gardening stretching routine, in order to limber up and avoid injury.
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