Work Up to Working Out

If warm spring temperatures are inspiring you to get active and shape up, that’s great! Just make sure to do things the right way to avoid pain or injury. Here are six rules to stick to when jumping into a fitness routine: 

Warm up. Muscle tissue becomes less flexible as we age. So warm up by walking for a few minutes, then slowly begin stretching your back and legs before moving on to more intense movement. 

Work up to it. When starting a new fitness routine, increase your activity in gradual increments of no more than 10 percent a week.

Treat your feet. Your shoes can help protect you from trips, falls, and injuries, so choose the right type for the sport or activity you plan to participate in. Ask other players, coaches, and the staff at your local sporting goods store for recommendations.

Perfect your technique. Some injuries (like tennis elbow) happen when you're unfamiliar with a sport and are making improper movements. So if you're trying out an activity you’ve never done before, get some coaching or do some research before diving in.

Wear a helmet. Did you know that adults are twice as likely as kids to die from a head injury? So if you ride a bike, play baseball, or rollerblade, always wear the proper headgear. 

Hydrate. Drink lots of water to prevent dehydration and replenish the fluids and nutrients you lose during workouts. Have a glass of water before you begin, and take a break every 20 to 30 minutes for more.

You’ll find even more tips to help you get and stay fit in our bestselling book, Grow Younger, Live Longer! And you can even try it out RISK-FREE at home for a full 21 days with our Free Preview. Visit www.JerryBaker.com for more details.

Happy Earth Day!

This coming Sunday is Earth Day. So go ahead and get the ball rolling in your own backyard by starting a compost pile! Whether you decide to use it as a mulch or mix it into your  soil, you can never have too much compost for the garden. Here’s a few helpful hints and tricks to keep your pile really cookin’:

• Never use meat, fish scraps, or cooking fats in your compost pile. They’ll attract varmints and insects, cause bad odors, and slow down decomposition of the pile. 
• Whether it comes from a human or any other kind of animal, hair is full of iron, manganese, and sulfur—all good stuff for your garden. Work it into the soil or toss it onto the compost pile, and watch your plants eat it up! 
• Give your compost pile the air it needs for speedy decomposition—without having to turn the pile with a pitchfork every few weeks! Just drill holes along the length of a large PVC pipe, place the pipe upright in the center of the pile, and add your compost materials around it.
• If you don’t have the time or space to for a full-scale compost pile, try this trick instead: Save your non-meat table scraps—citrus rinds, potato peelings, eggshells, coffee grounds, and so on. Every few days, liquefy the scraps in a blender along with enough water to cover them and a tablespoon of Epsom salts. Pour the resulting cocktail onto the soil in your garden, lightly hoe it in, and your plants will jump for joy! 

For more garden grow how’s, check out our bestselling book, Green Thumb Magic! You can even try it out for FREE for a full 21 days with our Free Preview!

Wake Up Your Lawn!

Now that spring has sprung, it’s the right time to get your lawn off on the right foot—er, root. And there’s no better way to do it than to apply our Spring Wake-Up Mix. Here’s how:

Mix 50 pounds of pelletized gypsum, 50 pounds of pelletized lime, 5 pounds of bonemeal, and 2 pounds of Epsom salts in a wheelbarrow. Apply the mixture to your lawn with a broadcast spreader no more than two weeks before your first fertilizing. This will help aerate the lawn, while giving it something to munch on until you start your regular feeding program.

Spring is also a super time to aerate your lawn. For best results, aerate the morning after you water the grass or after a heavy rain because the soil will be easier to penetrate then. First, poke holes in your soil easily with our Aerating Lawn Sandals. Then, put some sifted peat moss, dried manure, or compost in a broadcast spreader, and apply a layer about ¼ inch thick to the whole area.

For more spring lawn tips, check out our bestselling book, All-American Lawns. This amazing book is full of super solutions to help your turf rise, shine, and grow into the most gorgeous green grass you’ve ever seen! You can even try it out for FREE for a full 21 days with our Free Preview!

Give Your Lawn a Spring Spruce!

It was Opening Day last week for all your favorite Major League baseball teams! But how’s the turf at your home field looking? If your lawn is in desperate need of a spring cleaning, take some time between innings this weekend to get out there and give it a spruce: 

1. Rake up the remains of last fall’s leaves and grass clippings.
2. Overseed your lawn to repair any damaged areas.
3. Follow with our sensational Spot Seed Tonic: Combine 1 cup of beer, 1 cup of baby shampoo, and 4 tablespoons of instant tea granules in a 20 Gallon Hose-End Sprayer, and lightly apply the mixture to the mulch covering your newly seeded areas.
4. Remove thatch from cool-season lawns. Then spread screened compost over the dethatched turf.
5. Follow the compost with a dose of our Kick-in-the-Grass Tonic: Mix 1 can of beer; ½ cup of Epsom salts; and 1 cup each of antiseptic mouthwash, dishwashing liquid, and ammonia in a large bucket. Pour the solution into a 20 Gallon Hose-End Sprayer, and apply the tonic to the point of run-off. After 2 weeks, administer another dose.
6. Sharpen your mower blade, or replace it with a new one, so you’ll be all set for the first cut of the season.

For more ways to grow, repair, and maintain the best lawn in the league, check out our bestselling book, All-American Lawns. You can even try it out FREE for a full 21 days with our Free Preview!