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A woman in a seated twist on a green mat in a sunlit room, an olive tree and the sea behind her

Move · 60 min

An hour in a community garden

Digging, weeding and watering are real exercise, done outside with other people and something to show for it.

60 minutesFrom the library, free to readFour steps
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Gardening uses most of the body: bending, lifting, carrying, kneeling, reaching. Done in a shared garden, it also brings fresh air, company and the quiet satisfaction of a weeded bed. You do not need your own garden or any experience.

The steps

Four small steps,in your own time.

  1. Look for a community garden, shared growing space or park volunteering session near you. Libraries, local authorities and community centres often know of them.

  2. Get in touch and ask when newcomers can come along, what to wear and whether tools and gloves are provided.

  3. Go for one hour. Ask for a simple job to start with, and switch tasks every twenty minutes or so: weeding, then watering, then carrying.

  4. Before you leave, look at what you did. Ask when the next session is.

The reason

Why it helps

Gardening is a varied, steady kind of activity that works the legs, back, arms and grip, and is often more appealing than a gym. Being outdoors and working with plants is something many people find calming. Working alongside others gives an easy reason to talk and a reason to come back.

A gentle variation

If kneeling or bending is hard, ask for jobs at a raised bed or a potting table, and use long-handled tools. At home, a few pots on a step or a windowsill give the same small satisfaction.

Friends resting after a game, the sea behind them

WE · TRIBE

Try itwith someone.

Go with a friend, or bring a child; many gardens love young helpers. If you care for someone, some gardens run sessions designed for people with disabilities or memory loss and the people who look after them.

Make it a plan in HIVELIVE, with WE

Try it today

This week, find a community garden or park volunteering session near you and ask when a newcomer can come for an hour.

Add it to your day

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