I’ve been mowing the grass since I was about twelve-years-old, when my father finally deemed me tall enough to push our gas-powered lawn mower on my own.
Soon, every Saturday and throughout my summer vacation, keeping our lawn perfectly manicured was now my job. While this might sound a bit like child labor to you, in truth it provided me with a sense of responsibility and even helped me build the strong worth ethic I still have today.
Fast forward a few years and not only was I mowing my parents’ grass, but my grandparents on occasion as well. Though admittedly I never really minded mowing their lawn for my grandmother would always dote on me and feed me something wonderful afterwards.
But I digress.
I’m now 44 years old and after two houses, three trimmers and two lawn mowers (and none of those wimpy, self-propelled models either) I’m still religiously mowing the grass.
Gone is the sense of responsibility I once had as a young teenager. Now, it’s more like a weekly chore I have no choice but to maintain out of fear of my HOAs wrath.
But then the other day, I stumbled upon this article by the Southeastern Ohio Regional Medical Center, touting the benefits of mowing your own lawn. Of course, I was intrigued. Here are the top three:
- It appears there are some meditative properties to mowing the grass, as the repetitive back and forth naturally allows you to slip into a calmer state. Plus, being outdoors for long periods of time has always been known to improve wellbeing.
- According to the article, “Mowing your lawn with any type of push mower contributes to the 150 minutes of moderate physical activity you should aim for each week.” My lawn is pretty huge so I must be getting some benefit!
- The article goes on to say that mowing the grass actually burns calories. It’s true all you naysayers! “A 170-pound person pushing a mower for just 15 minutes burns approximately 93 calories – this equates to briskly walking a mile in the same amount of time.”
While there are times I’m jealous of neighbors who’ve hired a service for mowing the grass (especially on days when it’s close to 100 degrees) I guess I’ll keep on pushing. For one, I’m incredibly cheap and now knowing there are actually some health benefits to the chore certainly helps.
And here’s a health benefit you may not have thought of – purchasing an electric lawn mower. There are many varieties on the market and all of them help reduce emissions, which are known to harm the environment and the air we breath. Head over to Best Reviews for an informative article on which model may be right for you.