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Just what is needed after a hard day's gardening - a long hot soak in the bath!!!
So it’s that time of year again when my body wonders what has hit it. When joints ache and muscles that went into hibernation over winter are rediscovered. As the garden and allotment start to come to life and demand some attention my body too, creaks and groans back into action.
Its not like I have spent the winter sat on the sofa. I swim twice a week and do a lot of walking but for some reason the first couple of months back in the garden do take some getting used to. All that bending and stretching for a couple of hours to weed and prune certainly gives me a good workout.
On Monday I thought I would make the most of the strangely mild and dry weather for January and tackle the back garden, cutting back dead foliage and seedheads but within hours of finishing I could feel my back stiffening up. After sitting on the sofa for a while it took some effort and a push from Wellyman to stand up. Fortunately a soak in the bath helped, although I did groan when I got out of bed yesterday morning.
This time last year I was making my paths at the allotment. It was pretty hard work manoeuvring 6ft planks of wood into place (I’m not quite 5ft myself) and digging the trenches to hold the wood and weed membrane in place. I would return home aching, exhausted and looking a right mess in my scruffy clothes that were covered in soil. The only thing I wanted to do was jump in the bath, well it was more of a crawl actually, I didn’t have the energy for jumping into anything. It took a couple of months for my body to get used to the effort but by April I felt really fit, what became known in the Welly household as ‘allotment fit’.
I love my swims but I have never been a fan of gyms. Years ago my friend Judi and I signed up to the gym at University and only made it as far as the changing rooms. We were put off by the supremely fit looking men strutting their stuff, so we made a quick exit and ended up in the pub opposite. We never returned and I have never joined a gym since. The thought of being stuck inside, doing repetitive exercises whilst watching tv monitors showing programmes I have no desire to watch cannot compete with being outdoors in the fresh air, listening to the birds sing and getting exercise whilst doing something useful. My green gym wins every time.
I’ve never even been inside a gym, the thought of it brings me out in a cold sweat. I’m sure that many gyms would go out of business if everyone had an allotment, all that digging and weeding certainly gives a good workout, I think I’ll stick to that. Good luck with getting your allotment back in to shape, I haven’t even thought about it yet.
I know exactly how you are feeling – after just a couple of days in the garden – just doing light jobs – I have felt shattered. I have been trying to ease myself gently back in to it – but just bending for a while and I get back ache. Hopefully it will pass – it has too I have so much that needs doing.
(saying this softly in case my back/hip hears. Have been doing a morning exercise to strengthen hip muscles for a few weeks, and suddenly I can bend to weed and prune without whimpering)
I so agree with you, being outside in the garden working, beats a gym every time. I think gardening should be on the National Health, then we would all be a lot fitter!
I too am gradually trying to get back to full gardening mode but here too the body is complaining.
Hi,
I always stretch after gardening and I find it works wonders and I don’t get any pain/pulled muscles after. I can always tell when I’ve forgotten to stretch as the next day I wonder why I’m walking funny or my legs hurt.
However, I know after the first time I get weeding/planting again I’ll forget and be hobbling around the next day.
I have to take it steady nowadays and find that plotting, in moderation, is the perfect exercise! xx
This post made me chuckle – there was a thirty year plus gap between my first gym experience and my second! The second time was not much more enjoyable ~ would rather be outdoors for exercise though tai chi lessons have been inspirational for warming up exercises before allotment/gardening stints.
I prefer to meander in the Veg Patch and take my time but, realistically, I have a couple of brick paths to lay which means digging out the space for the bricks first and that’s when I look forward to a nice hot soaky bath at the end of the day!
Yes the thought (and longing at this time of year) to be back on the allotment is accompanied by the memory of aching joints. But the proof that it’s good for you-in moderation-is that it gets easier after the first few weeks.