With spring in full bloom and the hot summer sun approaching there are a few tips to live by to keep your garden looking beautiful and to keep your body feeling healthy! Gardening can be a difficult task and according to Britain's Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, flowerpots are the second most dangerous objects in the garden. Why?...Because improper lifting, bending, and hauling can cause minor to serious sprains and strains to muscles or even disc problems in the spine. Stretching is an important part of injury prevention in any kind of physical activity. Muscle strains and overuse injuries, such as tendonitis, occur when you attempt to do too much of an activity that you may only do once or twice a year. By minding how you bend and lift, stretching before and after gardening and pacing yourself, you can limit the stress on your body and prevent injury. Listed below are a few guidelines to maintain a pain free and enjoyable gardening experience!
Lifting
· Know your strengths and limitations - do not lift something that you know might be too heavy for you in the first place.
· Whenever you hoist or haul, bend at your knees not at your waist, lift with your legs and keep heavy objects close to your body to avoid straining your neck and back muscles.
· Avoid overloading wheelbarrows or weed bags.
· Choose lightweight tools with long handles to give you leverage.
· WHEN IN DOUBT, DO NOT RISK THE INJURY - ASK FOR HELP!
Bending
Frequent bending at the spine puts added stress on the muscles, ligaments, and discs and can, in some cases, cause long-term low back injury.
If you have to bend frequently to weed or plant, use a bucket or garden bench to sit on or a kneeling pad to get yourself closer to the ground.
Try to avoid bending and twisting motions especially when carrying any king of a load.
Maintain a neutral spine for all tasks by not over flexing forward or extending backward.
Alleviate some stress and tension on your spine by keeping your abdominals tight or set as you work.
Stretching and Strengthening
Stretch your muscles, including the lower back, legs, buttocks, arms, and forearms. Hold each stretch at least 30 seconds and perform 2-3 repetitions.
Your muscles may not seem tight but will tighten up as you work, so you may even try stretching throughout the day to keep yourself limber.
Keeping your abdominal and lower back muscles strong throughout the year will definitely help in protecting your lower extremities and spine when gardening season rolls around.
Pace Yourself
Do not try to tackle the whole yard in one day! Garden for 20-30 minutes at a time, 2-3 times a day. If this is manageable, increase your work time as tolerated by your body.
You should always take breaks. After 20-30 minutes, stand up and extend your spine a few times, walk around and stretch.
To give your muscles and joints a break, change positions frequently. You can change positions by sitting with legs crossed, kneeling, side sitting or on hands and knees.
If you are experiencing pain at any point during gardening, DO NOT CONTINUE TO PUSH THROUGH THE PAIN because it will likely become worse 24-48 hours later.
There are a few last reminders as you enjoy your gardening and the warmth of the season. Do not forget to dress appropriately for the sun and heat. UV rays can be very damaging and you should take care to wear sun block, at least SPF 15 or higher, a hat to cover your face and head and, if you are very fair and burn easily, a lightweight long sleeve shirt and pants. Keep hydrated. Even if you are not sweating you are still loosing fluids at a more rapid rate being in the sun and the warmth. If the above guidelines are followed and you "listen" to your body, your garden should be beautiful and you should be with little to no pain or injury! Should you have any questions or would like additional advice on injury prevention in the garden or maybe you have already sustained an injury please contact us at one of our clinics to speak with a physical therapist and set up a free screen or an evaluation.
Lessoning the Risk of Strain and Injury
Courtney Clarke, DPT and Krista Frederic, MPT
