Before You Pick Up a Trowel: Why a Gentle Warm-Up Makes All the Difference This Bank Holiday

It's going to be a beautiful bank holiday weekend. The forecast is good, the garden has been quietly waiting since last autumn, and for a lot of people (myself included) this will be the first serious outdoor session of the year.

Which is exactly why it's worth taking five minutes before you start.

Gardening really is fabulous, full body exercise. Digging, planting, kneeling, reaching, twisting, carrying - it works your whole body in ways that a lot of structured exercise doesn't. But it also asks things of muscles and joints that may not have been working hard for a while. And that combination — unfamiliar load, sustained postures, repetitive movements - is a reliable recipe for a sore back, tight shoulders, or aching knees by Sunday evening.

The good news is that a small amount of preparation makes a significant difference. Here's what I'd recommend.

Start With a Gentle Warm-Up

This doesn't need to take long or look like a workout. The goal is simply to get your joints moving through their range and your circulation going before you ask your body to work.

Five to ten minutes of the following is enough - think of it as an extended mobility stretch that you probably do without thinking every morning when you get out of bed:

Neck rolls — slowly drop your chin to your chest and roll your head gently from side to side. Five repetitions each side. Gardening involves a lot of looking down; this gets the neck ready for it.

Shoulder circles — ten slow circles forward, ten back. Your shoulders will be doing a lot of reaching, carrying, and digging, so it’s worth waking them up first.

Hip circles — standing with feet hip-width apart, hands on hips, draw slow circles with your pelvis. Just ten or so each direction mobilises the hip joints and loosens the lower back before the kneeling and bending begins.

Gentle spinal rotation — standing or seated, place your hands on your shoulders and slowly rotate your upper body left and right. Ten repetitions each side. Gardening involves a lot of twisting; this helps your spine prepare for it rather than be surprised by it.

Slow knee bends / mini squats — ten slow repetitions, only going as far as is comfortable, but try to go slightly deeper with each rep. Getting up and down from the ground is one of the most demanding things gardening asks of the body — especially the knees and hips. This helps.

Ankle circles — ten each direction, each foot. Especially useful if you'll be working on uneven ground.

None of this is dramatic. But it makes a real difference — particularly if you haven't done much physical activity over the winter months.

Take Sun Safety Seriously

Bank holiday weekends and unexpected warm weather are the combination that catches people out every year. We're not always used to it, we don't always have the right things to hand, and the enthusiasm of finally being out in the garden can override the practical considerations.

A few things worth doing before you go out:

Apply a good quality SPF 30 or higher at least 20 minutes before you leave the house — not when you're already outside. Give it time to absorb. And reapply every two hours, or sooner if you've been sweating.

Wear a hat. It sounds basic, but a hat is one of the most effective things you can do to protect your face and the back of your neck — two areas that get significant sun exposure during gardening without you necessarily noticing.

Sunglasses matter too — particularly if you're facing into the sun for periods of time.

Avoid the peak UV window if you can. In the UK during summer months, UV radiation is strongest between approximately 11am and 3pm. If you have the flexibility to schedule heavy digging and sustained outdoor work either in the morning or from late afternoon onwards, your skin will thank you for it.

Cover up where you can. Lightweight, loose long sleeves are surprisingly comfortable in the heat and provide better protection than factor 50 alone.

Stay Hydrated — Before You're Thirsty

Thirst is a late signal. By the time you feel it, your body is already beginning to be affected by dehydration — and in warm weather, that happens faster than most people expect.

A few practical habits that help:

Drink a glass of water before you go outside. Starting hydrated makes everything easier.

Take water out with you. Not a plan to come back in for some — actual water, within reach. A large bottle or flask works better than a glass you'll forget to refill.

Aim for a glass roughly every 30–45 minutes when working in the heat. You don't need to be obsessive about it — just consistent.

Avoid working in the heat immediately after caffeine, which has a mild diuretic effect and can compound dehydration in warm conditions.

If you're doing sustained physical work in the heat, consider adding a small amount of electrolytes to your water — a pinch of salt, or a low-sugar electrolyte drink — particularly if you're sweating heavily.

After the Garden

One more thing worth doing when you're done: a few minutes of gentle stretching before you sit down.

A sustained period of kneeling, bending, and digging leaves certain muscles shortened and others fatigued. Spending five minutes stretching out your hip flexors, lower back, chest, and calves before you settle onto the sofa will significantly reduce the stiffness you'd otherwise feel on Monday morning.

Your future self will be grateful.

Enjoy It

Gardening is one of the most complete forms of physical activity there is — it's purposeful, it's varied, it takes you outside, and it produces something visible. As exercise goes, it's almost unbeatable for motivation.

Take care of your body before, during, and after — and you'll be able to keep doing it for years to come.

Enjoy the bank holiday weekend. Take care of yourselves out there 🌞

If you'd like help building movement into your everyday life — including the kind of functional strength and mobility that makes gardening, walking, and daily activity easier and more enjoyable — I'd love to have a conversation. Drop me a message and let's chat.

Move better. Feel better. Live better.