A natural way to include more activity in your daily routine is to avoid using some modern conveniences--such as a riding lawn mower--that promote a sedentary lifestyle. Mowing the lawn can provide exercise.
Benefits
Mowing the yard can contribute toward the recommended two and a half hours of moderate exercise per week, which reduces the risk of many adverse health outcomes, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. If your yard is big enough, weekly mowing could save you one trip to the gym each week.
Effects
A person weighing 160 pounds will burn 229 calories mowing lawn 30 minutes with a push mower or 172 calories using a power push mower. Using a riding mower would demand only 95 calories for 30 minutes of mowing.
Considerations
The actual amount of energy a person expends mowing lawn can vary greatly, according to a study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology. Some factors contributing to this variation include the weight of the lawn mower, the weight of the person mowing, the speed or intensity of mowing and the slope of the lawn.
References
- U. S. Department of Health and Human Services: Physical Activity Has Many Benefits
- FatBurn.com: Free Activity Burn Tool
- MayoClinic.com: Exercise for Weight Loss
- President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition: Exercise and Weight Control
- PubMed: Measurement and Prediction of Energy Expenditure in Males During Household and Garden Tasks
Member Comments