Stepping Stone Fitness Series – Week 1

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

Scapula Wall Pushups

• 4-6 reps with a 5 second squeeze

Purpose: To improve the ability of our shoulder blades when moving, lifting, and stabilizing.

Exercise Explanation: Standing about arm’s distance away from the wall place both hands shoulder width a part. (The further you are from the wall the harder it becomes.) Imagine pulling your shoulders back & behind you while keeping your arms straight. Keep shoulders down and avoid elevating them towards your ears. Squeeze shoulder blades together for 5s then with straight arms push your chest as far away from the wall as you can.

Regression: You can hold a towel, small object, band, etc and practice pushing and pulling it away from you with straight arms. (Focus on squeezing your shoulder blades together and pushing them a part)

Progression: Get into a high plank position, or a high plank from your knees. Keep your pelvis tucked, and brace your core before initiating a full scapular pushup.

Diaphragmatic Breathing

• 4-6x reps with a 4-5 second squeeze

Purpose: To strengthen the stabilizing muscles. This type of breathing teaches our body how to stabilize our spine and is the precursor to the bracing movement we want to see in most of our exercises.

Exercise Explanation: Sitting on a chair with a neutral spine, plant your feet firmly on the ground. Place your hands around your stomach. The goal is to breathe through your stomach instead of your chest. This will stimulate the diaphragm as we breathe. In order to do this, as you breathe in think about air entering your stomach and push your hands away from your body using just your breath. The most important part of this is to expand through the sides of your stomach (obliques) and activate your core. Hold for 4-5s and focus on contracting your core muscles. As you breathe out allow the air to exit your midsection but keep your core activated and braced as you do. Repeat 4-6x.

Regression: Instead of holding and bracing, just focus on breathing in, activating your core then breathing out and keeping your core engaged.

Progression: We can move into a Curl up as part of the Mcgill Big 3 exercises. This is where we 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 push your shoulders off the ground. Hold for 3-5s

Isometric Groin Squeeze

• 4-6 reps with a 5 second squeeze

Purpose: To strengthen the muscles around the knees and hips to help reduce the risk of future injuries and possible pain. Isometrics are a low-impact way to strengthen muscles without putting pressure on potentially problem areas.

Exercise Explanation: Sitting on a chair with your feet firmly planted on the ground. Brace your core, hinge at the hips and place your fist, a soft ball, or towel between your knees. Squeeze your knees together and hold the contraction for upto 5s (Can adjust upto 10s or no holds). Relax your muscles and repeat 4-6 times.

Regression: Use a larger soft object, or both fists side by side. When bringing knees together, utilize a softer contraction. Only add holds to make the exercise harder.

Progression: While squeezing your fist or another soft object between your knees raise your feet off the ground. You can lower and relax your legs and then repeat to complete 4-6 reps or hold the lifted leg position for up to 30s. Note: Ensure proper core bracing throughout the lift.

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