Does gardening count as a moderate workout? In the fitness world, it's an ongoing debate. Yes, say some: The walking, bending, digging and pruning is strenuous enough to gain fitness benefits. No, say others: More vigorous movement is needed.
A recent study may put this discussion to rest, at least for older people. Researchers from Kansas State University studied the gardening habits of 14 men and women ages 63 to 86. They noted how much time the participants spent on tasks such as watering, walking, cleaning tools, weeding and harvesting. Heart rates and oxygen uptake were measured to determine how hard they worked. Standard measures that rate the intensity of physical activities were used to evaluate the work.
