Prevent a Bad Back with these Gardening Tips
12/02/2014
Gardening is such an enjoyable and rewarding experience, there’s nothing better than spending hours in your garden or on your smallholding.
Although, gardening can also be a painful experience if you suffer from back problems as a lot of gardeners tend to over do things and spend more time in their gardens than they do indoors! If you work in the great outdoors then you'll know a hard days work can bring aches and pains you didn't think possible.
It really doesn’t matter how old you are, back problems can affect anyone who works out in the green gym.
If you do suffer from back problems then all you have to do is follow these very simple rules which will make it so much easier on your back and help stop your back aches and pains from getting worse.
1. Make sure you wear clothing that’s appropriate for the garden, clothing that is loose and doesn’t restrict you or reduce circulation when you are bending. If it’s cold outside then wear warm clothes that will keep your muscles warm and prevent them from seizing up.
2. Before you do anything take a few minutes to warm up your back and get it ready for the tasks ahead. Start with some gentle stretching inside especially if it’s cold outside.
3. When you get outside start with the lighter jobs first before you move onto the heavier work. This will prepare you muscles so they are warm and able to cope with the bigger jobs a lot easier.
4. Avoid doing any repetitive work including bending down and continual digging as this will only increase the pressure on your back.
5. Be extra careful when lifting heavy plant pots, if you have to do this this then make sure you bend both knees and keep your back straight before you even think about picking up the object.
6. Bear in mind that if you hurt your back early on in the year, it could easily stop you from working outdoors for the rest of the year, so take it easy!
7. Don’t spend too long on one particular job, move around as much as possible as this will challenge different muscle groups rather than just working on one for a longer period of time.
8. When it comes to the tools that you use, choose ones with longer handles so you aren’t constantly bending up and down. Garden tools with telescopic handles are ideal to reach those high bushes and branches.
9. Keep all of your tools extra sharp as this will save you from putting in any extra pressure when cutting or pruning or opt for easy to use garden tools which are power operated. This not only saves you time, enables you to do big jobs with ease but will save you from suffering with a bad back too.
10. If you’re shifting anything heavy then use a wheelbarrow to get it from A to B and remember to use your legs to do the lifting.
11. Digging can be an extremely hard job, make sure that you take regular breaks and that you don’t bend at your waist whilst twisting, this puts you in an awkward position which can put extra strain on your back. You could consider investing in a tiller to take the strain from having to dig over larger areas.
If you start to feel any pain when you are gardening then stop and take a break. Consider investing in some helpful garden machinery to get the job done quickly, safely and give you that all important time back to sit, relax and enjoy the fruits of your labour.