A simple 30-minute gardening session—planting, digging, weeding, or watering—can burn anywhere between 150 to 200 calories. According to the Harvard Health Publishing calorie chart, light gardening can match the calorie burn of a moderate walk, especially when it involves movement like bending, lifting pots, or raking leaves.
But there’s more. Unlike repetitive gym workouts, gardening also improves hand strength, encourages stretching, and reduces cortisol (stress hormone) levels. It’s the kind of movement that feels like therapy, not training.