Stepping Stone Fitness Series – Week 2

Many gardeners experience pain in their low back, knees, and wrists (Park et al., 2008, as cited in Nicklett et al., 2016). By targeting certain muscle groups and rebuilding vital movement patterns we can start to reduce that pain and reduce the likelihood of future injuries in the garden (Burton, 2008)

Week-to-week we will post a set of 3 exercises. One for your core, upper body, and lower body. These exercises are designed to be simple and easy at first and progress as the weeks go on. We will also include regressions to make the exercises easier and progressions to make them harder. 

We suggest doing each exercise atleast 2x / week. After completing the recommended reps for an exercise take a short break then repeat the exercises 1-2 more times. If you want to make your chosen exercise easier/harder add or subtract 1-2 reps and increase or decrease the length of your holds to a more manageable level. 

Scroll down to see exercise explanations

If you’re feeling pain that’s abnormal, sharp, or excessive, stop the exercise and consult a medical professional.

If you are beginning a new fitness program, it is highly recommended that you complete the standardized Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q). This is educational material and not professional medical advice. If you have any medical conditions, injuries, or concerns about your readiness for exercise, it is best to consult with a healthcare provider first.

https://eparmedx.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/PARQPlus2025ImageFile.pdf

Wall Slides

• 6-8 reps

Purpose: To activate the the shoulders stabilizers and improve our ability to correctly move and lift weight without injury

Exercise Explanation: Standing about elbows distance away from the wall place both forearms on the wall, wider than shoulder width apart. Find a neutral spinal position and brace your core. Keeping your elbows in contact with the wall push your hands as far up as you can. Keep shoulders & ribcage down as you push, avoid arching the back.

Regression: Reduce the range of motion in order to maintain proper alignment.

Progression: You can hold wrap a band around your hands/wrist/forearm to make it harder, you can also place your forearms on a foam roller). Can also lie on stomach, and do W to Y lifts. Start with hands outstretched beside your shoulders. Lift the forearm off the ground and squeeze shoulder blades together, extend arms above head and slightly to the side creating a Y. Hold this for 3-5s then return to the starting position.

McGill Big 3 Curl Up

• 4-6x reps with a 4-5 second squeeze

Purpose: To help alleviate back pain by strengthening the stabilizing muscles associated with it. Learning how to include our bracing breaths in with exercise.

Exercise Explanation: Lie down, with our hands under the small of our back. The goal is to keep a slight and neutral curvature without overarching. Bend one knee. Breathe in, brace your core, lock your neck and head. as you breathe out, keep your core braced and use your abs to pull your shoulders off the ground. Hold the position for 3-5s, make sure you’re still breathing as you do. Try short quick and forceful breaths https://youtube.com/shorts/GpaQvXjU38Q?si=6sROQPg2wmTjrDdp

Regression: In the curl up starting position focus on bracing breaths pushing your abdominal muscles out and tensing them. Hold for 3-5s while maintaining a neutral spinal position then rest.

Progression: Can add extra reps. Or lift and hold your straight leg as you crunch.

Resources:

Groin Squeeze Glute Bridge

• 6-8 reps with a 3-5 second squeeze

Purpose: The gluteal complex is essential to hip health, balance, and stability. The groins are also an often forgotten and underdeveloped muscle and imbalances can lead to pain or injury.

Exercise Explanation: Lying on your back, bend your knees and bring your heels to where your fingertips can touch them, shoulder width apart. Tuck your pelvis and flatten your lower back so it fully rests on the ground. Brace your core and lightly squeeze the object between your knees. Push through your heels and lift your hips off the ground until your knees, hips, and shoulders are aligned. Avoid hyperextending. Squeeze your glutes and hold the high position for 3-5s, avoid letting your hips drop. Then slowly lower your hips down, keeping your pelvis tucked.

Note: Women have a slightly wider Q angle than men, to compensate for this feet can be slightly wider than hip width apart and feet can slightly turn outwards (Powers, 2014). Resources: https://blog.nasm.org/squat-stance-article-review

Regression: Perform a regular glute bridge without the groin squeeze. Reduce the range of motion if necessary.

Progression: After pushing the hips up, stabilize your core and hips and lift one leg. Keep pelvis aligned and don’t let one side drop. After lifting one leg can lift the other or return to starting position and switch sides on the next rep.

Nicklett et al., 2016. Gardening Activities and Physical Health Among Older Adults: A Review of the Evidence. Journal of applied gerontology: the official journal of the Southern Gerontological Society, 35(6), 678–690. https://doi.org/10.1177/0733464814563608 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4469628/

Burton, et al., (2005). How to prevent low back pain. Best Practice & Research Clinical Rheumatology, 19(4), 541–555. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.berh.2005.03.001

Golden, N., (2023). National Academy of Sports Medicine. Squat Stance: Neutral, Squeeze, and Outward Squat (Article Review). https://blog.nasm.org/squat-stance-article-review

Powers, C. M., Ho, K. Y., Chen, Y. J., Souza, R. B., & Subburaj, K. (2014). Patellofemoral joint stress during weight-bearing and non–weight-bearing exercises: Should we guidelines be modified? Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 44(5), 320–327. https://doi/10.2519/jospt.2014.4936