Spring has Sprung: A Guide to High Performance Gardening

Table of Contents

Spring 2025 has been exceptionally warm and dry. What does that mean..? It’s time to PLANT! Lots of Progressive Performance members have been out working in the great weather. We’ve been inspired to give you our best tips for staying healthy before, during, and after your gardening sessions: From strength training to nutrition, we will help you get more done and feel better throughout.

Pre-Gardening Preparation

The perfect backyard session begins before you’ve even picked up your gloves. Having a foundation of strength will ensure you’re minimizing injury, able to garden longer, and accomplishing more.

Let’s discuss the movement patterns involved before jumping into the weight room: Both the upper and lower body are involved in gardening postures, most commonly: squatting, bending, pulling/raking, and digging motions.^{(1, 2)} With that in mind, let’s examine what strengthening exercises you should do to grow the muscles used for those movements.

Image of gym exercises relating to gardening tools

Strength Training

For lower-body exercises, we recommend including a Squat Variation (barbell, goblet, etc.), Romanian Deadlifts, a Glute Bridge Variation (single leg, barbell, etc.), and Calf Raises (deficit or flat). This combination will target every major muscle group and give you a solid lower-body foundation.⁽¹⁾

For upper-body exercises you should incorporate a pulling + carrying routine including a Row variation (chest supported, single arm, etc.), a Carry Variation (farmer or suitcase), a Press variation (overhead, incline, etc.), a Lateral Raise, and a set of Arm Exercises (bicep curls, skull crushers, cable pulldown, etc.).⁽¹⁾Together, these exercises will give your body the ability to be safer, stronger, and pull significantly more weeds out of the ground.⁽³⁾

Image of a man stretching his leg happily.

Stretching and Flexibility

In tandem with strength training, having the flexibility and stability to get into awkward positions is just as important.

Incorporating Hip (figure four, sit like a guy, etc.), Leg (lunge, couch stretch, etc.), and Ankle Stretches (standing ankle dorsiflexion stretch) for the lower body is highly recommended.

For the upper-body, focusing on Shoulder Stretches (cross body stretch, arm circles) and Core Stability (deadbugs, birddogs) will be beneficial.⁽²⁾

With these recommendations, you can construct a fantastic, full-body workout routine; doing that routine two or three times a week will give you the full-body strength you need this season.

While Out in the Yard

Now that you’re feeling strong and mobile, what do you need to head out and start working? The keys to a perfect gardening session are a good warm-up, staying hydrated, fueling your body, and taking enough breaks.

Image of a woman stretching while outside gardening.

Warmups and Technique

An effective warm-up should: raise your body temperature, activate the correct muscle groups, and take the right amount of time. An example dynamic routine that accomplishes all three would be Body Weight Squats (3×8), Lateral Lunges (3×5 each way), Arm Circles (3×15), and a Cat-Cow Hold (3x5x10sec). Feel free to try different exercises and see what works best for you! Just make sure to include every major part of the body and get your heart rate elevated.

Image describing the benefits of proper hydration.

Staying Hydrated

Staying hydrated is essential for proper muscle function and preventing heat stroke. We recommend you intake around 100 ounces of fluid every day, and more than that in hot weather. That will average out to around four or five cups per hour, so take a drink every time you take a break.⁽⁵⁾Water and electrolyte drinks are both great choices, so you can try plenty of options.

Image of a snack bowl with a variety of healthy options.

Snacks and Breaks

Did you know the best time to hydrate and refuel is during a pre-timed rest? Common questions are: how long should I work between rests, and how long should I rest for? The answer will vary person to person, but we recommend taking a short rest period of 5-10 minutes every 20-45 minutes. This will give you enough time for recovery as well as make it easier to remember to drink water and get a snack. ⁽⁸⁾ Having well-timed, simple carb snacks during breaks will keep your energy levels high and muscles fueled.⁽⁶⁾We recommend a larger carb meal two hours before beginning your session (e.g. oatmeal), and access to simple, sweet snacks during exercise (e.g. fruit).⁽⁷⁾

Post-Gardening Considerations

The starters, flowers, and vegetables are in; now how do you best recover to get back out there tomorrow? Learning how to relax is a skill, and prioritizing your sleep and nutrition will make all your hard work pay off that much more.

Sleep Quality

Having enough high-quality sleep will keep you healthy for the season + it will have positive effects on overall quality of life. Getting 7-9 hours of quality sleep at a consistent time will have the single largest impact out of everything we’ve discussed.^{(8, 9)} Make it a priority, as you’ll see huge benefits guaranteed!

Nutrition

Consuming enough calories, high-quality protein, and a variety of food types will ensure good health for you and your garden. Consider what foods you typically keep at home; access is a large part of what we eat throughout the day. Following some rudimentary guidelines, such as eating lean proteins, fruit, and vegetables while limiting food with low nutritional value, is a great place to start.⁽¹⁰⁾