Exercises

[RStevrock]

I have a good idea of what type of weight bearing exercises I should do,
but I have a question about exercising in the garden.
My garden has suffered some neglect for about a month. When I got home
from work, it would be about 107. I would water. On the weekends it would
rain. The roses (230 of them) grew, but not like the weeds. Yesterday I got
out and began pulling weeds. Any of you who work outside know what a chore
this was. Truly the weeds covered the roses - at a height of 5-6 feet. I was
pulling very hard and worked about 3 different times (sessions). Sometimes I
was just standing and pulling and other times, stooping, and other times
crawling. Last night my lower back was quite sore, but this morning there is
no soreness at all. This is an exercise (if you can call it that) that I am
quite accustomed to. I hardly ever raise up when I am doing these activities.
I may stoop, but will brace myself and pull back because I don't think I
should do motions like "touching the toes".
My question: Do you think this type of work counts as weight bearing?
Sammy

[Art S]

"RStevrock" <rstevrock@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20030915064738.08154.00001039@mb-m14.aol.com...
> I have a good idea of what type of weight bearing exercises I should do,
> but I have a question about exercising in the garden.
> My garden has suffered some neglect for about a month. When I got home
> from work, it would be about 107. I would water. On the weekends it would
> rain. The roses (230 of them) grew, but not like the weeds. Yesterday I got
> out and began pulling weeds. Any of you who work outside know what a chore
> this was. Truly the weeds covered the roses - at a height of 5-6 feet. I was
> pulling very hard and worked about 3 different times (sessions). Sometimes I
> was just standing and pulling and other times, stooping, and other times
> crawling. Last night my lower back was quite sore, but this morning there is
> no soreness at all. This is an exercise (if you can call it that) that I am
> quite accustomed to. I hardly ever raise up when I am doing these activities.
> I may stoop, but will brace myself and pull back because I don't think I
> should do motions like "touching the toes".
> My question: Do you think this type of work counts as weight bearing?

Sammy,

First, the question isn't whether or not any of us think it counts as weight bearing.
The question is (since, if I recall, you've been doing this as your exercise for
a while now) has it helped you in the past? I have a vague recollection that the
answer was no?

Second, I can easily come up with exercises that will cause my lower back to
be quite sore without being of much aid to increasing density: just make sure
that endurance is one of the requirements. Low level of effort (so no bone
density gain) with long endurance (so the muscles get tired and sore). Does
this sound like your gardening?

Sorry,

Art

[bluebowling@yahoo.ca]

On 15 Sep 2003 10:47:38 GMT, rstevrock@aol.com (RStevrock) wrote:

> My garden has suffered some neglect for about a month. When I got home
>from work, it would be about 107. I would water. On the weekends it would
>rain. The roses (230 of them) grew, but not like the weeds. Yesterday I got
>out and began pulling weeds.

This is just a word of caution -- you don't seem to have a
problem pulling weeds so maybe it will help someone else. It was this
very action that revealed that my Mother had osteoporosis (age 80).
She was pulling quite energetically and fractured in the spine.

[RStevrock]

>weight bearing.
>The question is (since, if I recall, you've been doing this as your exercise
>for
>a while now) has it helped you in the past? I have a vague recollection that
>the
>answer was no?

Let me try this again. I had a long dry spell last winter and also came off of
Prempro. So, even though gardening is not new to me, I did go about 5 months
without doing much and I did not replace it with weight bearing exercises. I
am doing the weights now and am trying to compare them to gardening.
You said it was important to stand not sit when doing the weights. I wear
my big rubber boots to be sure I am stable, and pull long weeds from a standing
position. I pull hard and I feel that it is as much pressure as when I lift
weights. I understand that you say I should lift many weights, but I cannot do
that yet. I can only do 12 shoulder presses with a 13 pound bar. I can easily
do the squats with about 21 pounds, and can do up to 36 reps, so I know that I
could increase that one. The military presses and shoulder presses are
difficult for me and they were when I did them as part of our club's aerobics.
He would do 60 reps at once and I had to stop and rest frequently. I would do
12 stop for about 6 do 12 again. So I need to build those slowly, but
regularly to keep from getting an injury.
My question, if you are still with me. My body is accustomed to the
regular aerobic weight lifting and it is accustomed to gardening. Military
presses and squats compress the spine, challenge it or do something that is
beneficial. It is an up and down motion that contributes to greater bone
density. What about the weed pulling motion. It would be the same as a boat
rowing motion? Would that motion also contribute to greater bone density or
does the motion have to be up and down as opposed to pulling?
I think you are telling me also that exhaustion and muscle fatigue don't
count as building bone density. That helps. I hadn't quite realized that.
Considering that endurance doesn't count, how about that motion of pulling
weeds even with a hoe compared to military presses? I'm sorry this is so long.
Sammy

[RStevrock]

>will help someone else. It was this
>very action that revealed that my Mother had osteoporosis (age 80).
>She was pulling quite energetically and fractured in the spine.
>

Did your mother think that the most beautiful magic in the world was her
garden? Did she recuperate? I have read that gardeners have greater bone
density than other people. But I hear your caution. We must be careful.
Sammy