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IF YOU DO ONE THING THIS WEEK... GET INTO THE GARDEN

Claire O'Connell's face
Claire O'Connell
Tue Mar 15 2011 - 00:00

IF YOU DO ONE THING THIS WEEK . . . GET INTO THE GARDEN

If you are lucky enough to have access to a garden, now is definitely the time to make more use of it.

With brighter evenings and the weather becoming more clement, with any luck getting out into the fresh air and greenery can bring health benefits.

Bord Bia has just launched a campaign to get us into our gardens, pointing out that the bending, reaching, walking and stretching of gardening can burn off at least 200kcal per hour.

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It may even be money in the bank for your bones: a University of Arkansas study of more than 3,000 women aged over 50 found that yard work involving weight-bearing motions such as “pushing a mower, digging holes, pulling weeds and carrying soil or other gardening items” was linked with healthier bone density. That study was published in the Journal of Women Aging in 2002. For tips on getting more out of your garden, see bordbia.ie/gardentime.