Reel Upper Body Yard Workout

[Yogadad]

Originally Posted by KarenJo

There is a lot of functional fitness in gardening and it needs to be done over and over. Whenever someone comments that low weight high rep work is useless because they never use tht kind of strength I think about how many hours of the spring and summer I spend crouched on a slope inside of a large shrub with a 1/2 pound pair of pruners held over my head clipping out dead twigs. I can end up doing that for an hour or two at a time. Once I get in there I have an incentive to get it all done before I crawl out.

My solution for grass is to get rid of all of it.

No doubt about it. I find that you have to be in shape to do gardening and you can develop strength doing it. I don't think gardening can be a replacement for a fitness regimen though. There are many repetitive type movements and awkward position in something like gardening and I feel it's important to balance it with other fitness type activities (or even just a good Yoga program that moves one in a variety of ranges of motion). Even athletes have to do other types of training and not just their sports activity to keep their bodies in balance.


I will have to disagree with getting rid of the grass, at least in my situation. My kids play out there all the time. My son practices his football drills out there, and my daughter and he play soccer with their friends as well as other sports. So I'm a big advocate of having a large lawn

I personally love the way a lawn looks, especially if it's complemented with nice gardens. My wife is the gardener in the family though, I pretty much handle the lawn

Best,

Scott

[Gardengirl]

Originally Posted by Yogadad

I will have to disagree with getting rid of the grass, at least in my situation. My kids play out there all the time. My son practices his football drills out there, and my daughter and he play soccer with their friends as well as other sports. So I'm a big advocate of having a large lawn

I personally love the way a lawn looks, especially if it's complemented with nice gardens. My wife is the gardener in the family though, I pretty much handle the lawn
Scott

Yep, I love my grass too! (I think DH might be of the "get rid of the grass" club though - probably has something to do with being forced to do yard work as a kid - LOL!) I have several flower gardens and the grass is like the back drop in a painting. Plus my kids and their friends have had tons of fun at varying ages in the yard! And, like I said the zero radius mower is more like driving a go-cart and cutting grass!

[Peggy T]

I have 3 acres, 1 of which I mow, and I *love* my reel mower! Its a real workout on the hilly parts. It does a really (er, "reely") good job, too! I can do it early in the morning and not wake anyone up. The best thing is I got it for $20 at a yard sale and it looks brand new!! I only use the gas mower if I have a ton of leaves or if the grass (or whatever green stuff grows in my yard masquerading as grass) is too thick. Its an awesome shoulder workout. Pair that with the rechargeable trimmer and there you go!

[Yogadad]

Originally Posted by Peggy T

I have 3 acres, 1 of which I mow, and I *love* my reel mower! Its a real workout on the hilly parts. It does a really (er, "reely") good job, too! I can do it early in the morning and not wake anyone up. The best thing is I got it for $20 at a yard sale and it looks brand new!! I only use the gas mower if I have a ton of leaves or if the grass (or whatever green stuff grows in my yard masquerading as grass) is too thick. Its an awesome shoulder workout. Pair that with the rechargeable trimmer and there you go!

I Peggy,

Wow, you do that whole acre w/ just the reel mower?

If you do I am seriously impressed!!!!

How long does it take you to do? Do you do it all at once?

It is a seriously good shoulder workout (and leg workout as well)

Take care,

Scott

[Peggy T]

Originally Posted by Yogadad

I Peggy,

Wow, you do that whole acre w/ just the reel mower?
Scott

Most times I just have to do the back (about .5 acres) and it takes me about 45 minutes because I have to go over parts of it because it didnt get it the first time. The blades are sharp, and that makes more difference than I ever realized (had an OLD reel mower before this one,UGH).

The front yard is in high shade of oaks, so I really just have to snip the whiskers off what is sticking up. It never really grows per se... that part is real easy and quick and I only do it 5-6 times a summer. During the spring when the grass first starts growing I have to mow several times a week. Sometimes I get lazy and just do the really bad parts.

The nice thing about a reel mower is that the more frustrated you are, the more grass gets cut, unlike a gas mower that won't start.

[FirmDancer]

Count me as a gardener/functional fitness fanatic, too. I do some gardening but spent last summer getting rid of all my grass in the front of my house and the back yard. (I appreciate all the reasons why you would want some lawn; for me it was impractical.) I did a lot of hardscaping with gravel, rocks, etc. Al the lifting, carrying, and re-arranging of landscaping materials really got me into shape (plus I did Cathe's August bootcamp rotation.) I was so thrilled that we had a mild winter and have been outdoors landscaping every week-end since March. I could do stuff like that every day!

[Yogadad]

Originally Posted by Peggy T

Most times I just have to do the back (about .5 acres) and it takes me about 45 minutes because I have to go over parts of it because it didnt get it the first time. The blades are sharp, and that makes more difference than I ever realized (had an OLD reel mower before this one,UGH).

The front yard is in high shade of oaks, so I really just have to snip the whiskers off what is sticking up. It never really grows per se... that part is real easy and quick and I only do it 5-6 times a summer. During the spring when the grass first starts growing I have to mow several times a week. Sometimes I get lazy and just do the really bad parts.

The nice thing about a reel mower is that the more frustrated you are, the more grass gets cut, unlike a gas mower that won't start.

Hi Peggy,

That's still a bunch to do w/ the reel mower, that's great that you do that.

I just have a fenced back area and the culverts that I do w/ the reel mower. The rest I just drive around on the lawn tractor and drink bottled water and try not to run over too many sticks and things like soccer balls and footballs that my kids leave out, plus there's always those little rubber balls that my dogs like to fetch and get all slimy w/ doggy drool (too much info, I know ).

Best,

Scott

[Peggy T]

FirmDancer - good for you! Grass is SOOO overrated. LOL!! I tried to do my front yard in periwinkle, but periwinkle only wants to grow where I don't want it. I gave up a large chunk of front yard to a hosta bed. How nice of me to feed the deer, eh?

Scott, its pretty easy to do on the flat parts if I don't let it get too long. Seriously, if its too difficult I'd get the blades sharpened. The difference is night and day. (But not too many places sharpen these kind of blades anymore..cost me $35 the last time, more than the cost of the mower!)

[Yogadad]

Originally Posted by Peggy T

FirmDancer - good for you! Grass is SOOO overrated. LOL!! I tried to do my front yard in periwinkle, but periwinkle only wants to grow where I don't want it. I gave up a large chunk of front yard to a hosta bed. How nice of me to feed the deer, eh?

Scott, its pretty easy to do on the flat parts if I don't let it get too long. Seriously, if its too difficult I'd get the blades sharpened. The difference is night and day. (But not too many places sharpen these kind of blades anymore..cost me $35 the last time, more than the cost of the mower!)

Hii Peggy,

Isn't it amazing how much it cost to maintain an inexpensive piece of equiptment. I'm curious where you get the blades sharpened, I haven't even thought about having to get that done, I haven't had it that long so I'm probably okay for a while, especially since I do such a small part of my property with it.

I know what you mean about the grass getting too long though, when that happens it's a pain to do, I have to do it a little bit at a time, back and forth ... It is motivation though to keep it short and not let it get out of hand

Happy cutting!

Scott