How to Treat Your Body Kindly While Gardening

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Gardening is wonderful exercise in the fresh air and is rewarding on so many levels, but it's easy to stress our bodies when we engage in this activity. Gardening-related pain and injuries are some of the most common complaints doctors get in the springtime. You can greatly reduce your chances for pain and injury while gardening by tuning into your body and observing the advice and techniques in this article.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Cushion
Stool
Small bench

Take Care of Yourself

Step1

Treat gardening as a sport. Begin gardening by warming up as you would before any sports activity. Stretch the most frequently used muscles in your upper and lower body so they become more flexible and able to handle the tasks at hand. Don't forget to stretch after you’re done to help relax muscles and reduce soreness later.

Step2

Carefully plan how much time is required. Realistically assess how much you can accomplish. Most injuries occur from doing too much too quickly.

Step3

Keep good body mechanics in mind. Carefully lift heavy bags of dirt or mulch by keeping your back straight, bending at the knees, lifting with the strength of your legs and holding the bag as close to your body as possible. When you dig with a shovel, lift the dirt and turn your entire body before emptying the contents. Avoid lifting, twisting and throwing, especially if the soil is wet or clay.

Step4

Alternate your activities so you use different muscle groups. Vary your activities to minimize the repetitive stress placed on your spine and muscles.

Step5

Use a cushion, stool or small bench when weeding. This helps to avoid strain on your knees and lower back.

Step6

Take frequent breaks. Minimize the chance of injury by taking breaks every 30 to 60 minutes. Take a few minutes to stretch, get a drink of water and evaluate what you want to do next.

Step7

Stop gardening before you become fatigued. Most injuries occur when you are trying to do “one last thing.” If you feel stiff, sore or experience pain, use ice on the affected area for 15 to 20 minutes. If the pain persists or becomes more intense, stop gardening and consult your health care provider.