Gardening Burns Calories Like a Gym—Here's How Much
Gardening can offer a solid workout, according to health experts. Many common tasks—like digging, weeding, or chopping wood—burn as many calories as a gym session. Health official Alexey Nikonov even suggests it as a good alternative to traditional sports for staying active.
Different gardening activities provide varying levels of exercise. Planting seedlings, for example, burns between 120 and 200 calories per hour. Weeding garden beds, however, can push that number to 250–400 calories. Digging is even more intense, burning 330–400 calories in the same time.
Chopping and carrying firewood tops the list, with an estimated 350–450 calories burned hourly. To avoid injury, experts recommend a five-minute warm-up before starting. When lifting heavy objects, squatting with a straight back and using the legs to bear the weight reduces strain. Prolonged bending should also be avoided. Every 20–30 minutes, switching tasks or taking a short stretch break helps prevent stiffness and fatigue.
Gardening provides a practical way to combine physical activity with outdoor work. By following simple precautions, people can stay fit while maintaining their gardens. The calorie burn from tasks like weeding or chopping wood rivals many traditional workouts.
