Gardening as exercise; avoiding illness on a long flight?
Q: I looked at a chart that says gardening is the same as walking 174 steps per minute! I had no idea. If I garden for two hours - and I'm doing that already - am I really doing the equivalent of more than 20,000 steps? - Patsy M., Shaker Heights, Ohio
A: Slow down, Patsy. Going at gardening "full on" is back-breaking work. The 174-steps-per-minute equivalent applies to full-on gardening. If you're gardening like that for two hours a day, day after day, you're going to be one sore gardener!
Yes, gardening is great for your health, but to stay in good health and be able to tend to your garden throughout your growing season, you need to pace yourself. Let us give you a bit of advice that we have picked up from other successful gardeners.
No. 1 Stretch before you hoe! Gardening demands deep knee bends, extended reaching and lifting (always with your legs). Warm up your muscles first, and you will be less sore afterward. You should stretch before any exercise, whether it's gardening or working out at the gym.
No. 2 Alternate tasks so gardening is a well-rounded exercise routine. Prune, then rake, then dig and plant; repeat. Put yourself on a clock and hydrate every 30 minutes. After an hour, take a break. That's the same smart pattern you should follow at the gym.
We're fans of interval gardening; doing some intense activities, then taking it easier for a while. It's similar to interval walking (warm up for five minutes; walk at your regular pace for about a minute, followed by a 20-30 second burst of faster walking; repeat this pattern for 20 minutes; cool down for five minutes). You want to alternate your energy output to between the equivalent of 73 steps per minute (light gardening) and 131 steps per minute (medium gardening). Save the 174 steps per minute for very occasional demanding tasks. That way you'll be ready to do it again tomorrow.
Q: My friend recently came back from visiting family overseas. A day later, she became really sick and ended up in the hospital. She's convinced that she caught something on the plane. Is there any way to guard against that? - Spiros A., Hull, Massachusetts
A: We fly a lot, and yes, there are precautions that trans-Atlantic - and any other air travelers - can take to guard against some of the pathogens you come into contact with on airplanes.
Your first defense against germs on a long flight is always your own immune system. There's nothing wrong with training for a 24-hour trip from Boston to Australia. Seriously. More walks, less red meat, vitamins, more sleep - you know the drill. It can strengthen your immune system.
As for whether airplanes or air travel is a health risk, well, a recent New York Times article about healthy flying mentioned an interesting thing: Customer satisfaction with cabin cleanliness is up over the past few years. However, there are still health risks associated with being in a closed environment with hundreds of people. So here are some tips for dodging trouble:
1. A recent study published in the journal Proceedings of the Natural Academy of Sciences of the United States of America - which has been cited a lot in recent publications - found that people who sit in the window seat, away from in-cabin traffic, are least likely to come into contact with contaminated droplets (germs) in the air.
2. Bring a disinfectant wipe for your tray table, and use it on your hands after visiting the restroom. Environmental Protection Agency tests frequently have found that most airline water has unwanted bacteria in it.
3. Lastly, point your overhead air vent directly at yourself. While the cabin air filters reportedly remove 99.9 percent of bacteria, fungus and viruses from the air, the current itself will deflect germs away from you.
So, the next time you fly, buckle up and have a healthy flight.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
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