A Green Workout

MOTHER NATURES HEALTHCLUB

Getting exercise shouldn’t be something you dread. It should be a fun, energizing part your day that you look forward to.  Having a home garden is a great way to merge a pleasant daily routine with exercise.

There are little things you can do to keep your blood flow circulating in cold winter months. I find a great way to stay in shape and not even realize I’m doing it, is to maintain a healthy, indoor garden. It may sound crazy at first, but between your flowers, plants and trees you can really find all sorts of ways to keep yourself moving.

PREPARATION: THE MOTHER OF INVENTION

Our house is just filled with plant life. We have nearly two dozen indoor varieties, as well as some year-round indoor trees. To make sure our plants get as much natural light as possible, we built shelves near the windows and also put up hanging planters.

With so many plants around the house, there is a fair bit of watering to tend to. Here is where the exercise comes in. While it may take longer, I choose to use 1liter containers for watering, because the refilling, lifting and watering ensures that I’m constantly running back and forth. It’s easy to blame the cold for why I won’t go out for a walk in the winter, but looking after my plants is something that I just can’t ignore. Not if I want them to survive.

SPRING RENEWAL

During those winter months I am pruning plants and preparing for replanting outdoors in the spring. Having all this indoor greenery is a real plus when springtime rolls around. Having resilient indoor varieties that transplant easily to the outdoors helps to get the springtime garden started off on the right foot.

One of the year round projects I have are home made Bonsai. These wonderful plants are in realty, trimmed bushes. Any garden store will be able to help you find an appropriate bush and then all you have to do to maintain it is to just keep trimming. The beauty to this artful and meditative form of gardening is that it is a workout for your hands. Small hand trimmers are the tool of the trade and a sure way to keep your grip firm.

When the winter plants have carried you into spring you will be all the more ready to transplant flowers that you have kept for blooming. Having the vitality of plant life with me year-round is yet another step I am sure to take in staying healthy.