Spending time in nature away from electronic devices is healthy for your mind. And if you choose to spend time planting and tending a garden, you’ll have the added bonus of a healthy body.

Gardening is great exercise and will burn calories. Here’s a guide to approximately how many calories a 180 lb person will burn performing the activity for 30 minutes. The more you weigh, the more calories you’ll burn. If you weigh less, you’ll burn fewer calories.

The information was gathered by Dan Hickey, former editor of the National Gardening Magazine.

Calories Burned

• Watering burns 61 calories.
• Mowing the lawn burns 101 calories, when using a riding mower and using a push mower burns 182.
• Pruning and trimming shrubs burns 142 calories.
• Raking burns 162 calories.
• Planting burns 162 calories.
• Planting trees burns 182 calories.
• Laying sod burns 202 calories.
• Removing leaves and branches burns 202 calories. 
• Using power tools, such as a chainsaw, burns 243 calories.
• Chopping and splitting logs burns 243 calories.
• Digging, spading, and composting burns 250 – 300 calories.

Visit your local English Gardens store  to get gardening essentials, such as gloves and knee pads. Then enjoy the beautiful environment you’ve created!