For some people, yard work -- be it digging in the garden, raking leaves or shoveling snow -- is their major form of exercise. It's hardly an ideal exercise regimen but, if spare time is in short supply, perhaps you have no other choice. If such is the case in your life, you should treat yard work as you would any other form of exercise and perform stretching exercises beforehand. Without warming up first, you risk hurting yourself. About's Guide to Exercise, Paige Waehner, informs us about warming up in this article, which includes photos illustrating stretching exercises.