I had the privilege of growing up with gardening. My Dad, Len Cullen, had a passion for it that almost defies description. He was, after all, the only person that I know of that kissed evergreens – all of the time! And without apology. He also deeply loved the soil.

One day when we were strolling along a path, my father, walking with his favourite ‘D’ handled spade and me, just trying to keep up the pace of both the conversation and the walk. On most occasions, our conversations revolved almost exclusively around our gardening business. And so it came as a great surprise to me on this particular day when he stopped abruptly during our stroll, mid-stride. He bent down, took a stance that I had seen thousands of times before, and he began to dig – right in the middle of the dirt path, one spadeful, two and three. Then he moved the dirt back into the new hole with the spade.

He slowly straightened his back, hand on the base of his spine for support.

Slightly out of breath, he said, “I love to dig.”  Then he paused, “I love to dig.”  Then he looked me square in the eye and exclaimed, in case I hadn’t heard him, “I love to dig, Mark!”

Expressing such passion over a basic thing like digging was unusual, even for him. There was no doubt in my mind that he was good at it. Yes, there is a particular skill to digging. The position of your feet, the spacing of your arms on the shaft of the spade, the thrust of the blade into the ground, pushing your shoulders into it – all factor into a satisfying digging experience – not to mention that the spade itself must be clean and sharp as a butcher’s knife. It also helps if the spade is worn with use – the oils from your hands having smoothed the wooden shaft to a working finish. This is a tool without a price because you can’t buy one. You create it through practice.

After our memorable digging experience, about 10 or 12 years went by.  It took this long for me to begin to understand what he was talking about that day. Over time I had planned and planted my own garden – a few times.

I had learned to take the time to slow down and dig my own soil – to smell it in the moist spring.

And here’s my point: Digging, hoeing, raking, lifting wheelbarrows and weeding all constitute excellent ways to get physical activity in a most enjoyable manner. And this is a good thing because the Heart and Stroke Foundation recommends that adults get 30 to 60 minutes of activity a day. Working in your garden is a great way to meet your goals for physical activity while enjoying the satisfaction of the experience. According to the Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute, gardening is the second most favoured physical activity among adults 25+. (Walking is No. 1.)

Studies have shown that moderate gardening may burn as much as 400 calories per hour. Think about it. Pushing a lawn mower is good. Pushing a manual mower is even better. Bending and stooping in the garden provide all the benefits of a good stretch without getting bored. I can relate to this as I hate to take the time to stretch, yet I know the benefits that comes with elongating those stiff muscles.

So next time you’re in your garden, think of it as your own gym – a gym with sky, clouds, colour and bird song. You’ll find that you exercise so much more than just your muscles!

(Reprinted with permission of the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Want to receive heart-healthy recipes, nutrition and physical activity tips to your inbox every month? Then subscribe to Healthline, the Heart and Stroke Foundation's free monthly e-newsletter today.)