New Summer Workout: Weeding?

I've discovered that I enjoy weeding.

Yes, you read that correctly. I've never exactly been an "outdoor" kinda gal, to put it lightly.

My best friend still laughs about the time we took a hike in the woods behind her house back in high school and I had to take off my shoes and claw my way up a steep muddy hill because I kept sliding down. All while having a near panic attack because it was getting dark and I heard raccoons (the raccoons, in fact, turned out to be her trying to scare me). That being said, one could conclude that gardening, of all things, wouldn't exactly be my cup of tea.

As a kid, our neighbor once paid me $60 to weed an island in his yard. I made it about halfway through and that was the end of it. I hated it. Lately though, I've been having a change of heart.

For starters, weeding can be kind of therapeutic in a way. I'm finding it sort of relaxing. Taking your time, nowhere to be, no need to rush. Just go at your own pace. Something we could all use more of nowadays.

Another benefit? Free sun! I gave up tanning beds for good about a year or so ago and have since been relying on tanning lotions. As great as some are though, they just don't compare to the real thing. Sure, we all know that real sunlight can be just as damaging as the bed, but with protection, a little bit of rays can be healthy for everyone. I'm a girl who likes to lay out in the summer (yes, I know, bad girl). But unless I'm at the beach or pool, I get bored and barely make it a half hour. If you're outside doing something active though, it's pretty difficult to get bored. Plus, no need to keep switching sides like when you're laying out!

So, all of this being said, I was curious as to how many calories a serious weeder can burn. I mean come on, all that squatting, crawling, bending your body into weird pretzel like shapes (well, if you have steep and uneven land like ours), its gotta do something good for ya, right?

According to Glamour Magazine's Body By Glamour, vigorous gardening can burn up to 500 calories an hour! That's just about as much as you could do on any gym cardio machine. And if you think about it, even if you work at a moderate or slow pace, you're still guaranteed to burn at least a hundred calories.

Let's hope I don't ruin the parents' landscaping with this new hobby.

So I'm curious, , since it is summer, the season for being outdoors, are you a gym rat, or do you prefer taking your workout outside?