Yard Work Recovery: How to Prevent Aches and Train Smarter

Yesterday, I spent most of the day doing yard work around the house. What was supposed to be a simple project—planting new greenery in the front yard—turned into six or seven hours of digging holes with a post hole digger, moving dirt, and hauling plants. If you’ve ever tackled a full day of landscaping, you know just how physically demanding it can be.

For those who know me, I’m not someone who enjoys working on one project for that long. Normally, I like to keep things moving. But in this case, the health of the plants depended on it. So, like many of you, I pushed through and got it done. The problem? The repetitive nature of digging and lifting puts a serious strain on your body. What feels like “just yard work” is actually a high-volume workout you didn’t plan for.

The Hidden Training Load of Yard Work

We often underestimate how much manual labor—yard work, moving furniture, painting, even long days on your feet—counts as physical training. These activities require repeated use of the same muscles, usually with poor ergonomics, and can easily add up to hours of extra “training volume.”

If you ignore that and head straight to the gym the next day for your normal workout, you risk overloading the same muscles and joints. Instead of feeling strong and energized, you may experience aches, pains, or even minor strains that linger for days or weeks.

Smarter Recovery Strategies

The key is to recognize that yard work is training volume and to adjust your plan accordingly. This doesn’t mean skipping the gym, but it does mean being intentional about your recovery and programming.

One of the best strategies is to substitute extra mobility work for some of your normal strength or accessory training. At Victory Performance, we often use the R.S.A. mobility strategy, which focuses on restoring range of motion, stabilizing key joints, and activating muscles that may have been overworked. Read my blog explaining the R.S.A. mobility strategy here!

After a long day of digging, shoveling, or planting, your upper body takes a beating. Areas worth targeting include:

• Pecs – Try this great mobility series for your chest

• Lats – Use this series to restore overhead motion

• Spine – This T-spine series can be a game changer for your back and shoulders

  
  

By spending even 15–20 minutes on these areas, you’ll improve recovery, reduce soreness, and prepare your body to train productively again within a day or two.

Takeaway

Yard work may not look like training, but your body treats it the same way. Pushing through seven hours of digging and planting is no different than hammering away at a high-volume workout. Respect the load, recover smart, and adjust your gym sessions when life throws you these curveballs.

Your long-term performance—and your ability to keep doing the activities you enjoy—depends on it.