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Gardening and Back Problems
Gardening is a hobby that is enjoyed by a great many people around the world. In fact, studies have shown that working in a garden for just a few minutes a day, has proven to reduce stress significantly. Sadly, however, many people are forced to give up gardening when they get older. Having trouble with movement, getting up and down, carrying tools, etc., easily discourages those who suffer problems with their mobility. Should our later years strip of us of one of our favorite pastimes? Definitely not! Keep on reading, to learn some methods of saving time and saving your backache in the garden.
Back-related problems are the number one reason that people give for avoiding garden work, which is perfectly understandable. Many of us suffer problems with our back as we grow older and gardening can prove quite painful if not done correctly. Appropriate tools and a few simple shortcuts can make a surprisingly big difference to gardeners, young and old alike. Taking the time to plan ahead can restore gardening to the fun hobby that it once was.
Planning ahead is the first priority for smart gardeners. Take a moment to think of what you plan to do and then collect your tools ahead of time. It is extremely frustrating getting out in the garden only to discover that you’ve left an important tool or packet of seeds behind. If you’re using small hand-held tools, try putting the ones that you’ll need into a container so that they’re easier to carry. If working with larger tools, such as spades, forks and rakes, move them around in a wheelbarrow to where you need them in the garden.
Before you even begin gardening, try doing a few simple stretching exercises. Remember that weeding and tending a garden is a form of exercise and that those few minutes spent stretching will help to avoid painful pulled muscles later on. Furthermore, when you begin your gardening, remember to treat it as exercise and vary the different tasks that you do, so you aren’t performing the same repetitive motion, over and over again. This will help to avoid sore or stiff muscles, the following day.
If you are working from a standing position, try and use tools with longer handles, so you don’t have to hunch over too much. Additionally, you will want to ensure that you maintain good posture while you’re working. Don’t be afraid to stand with your feet spread slightly, providing more stability for your body, and keep your back straight. When shoveling, raking or using a hoe, keep your motions slow and smooth; avoid jerking or making any short, choppy movements. If your garden is on a slope, try and work down the slope so that you do not have to reach down so far when digging, for example. Various tools are now available in longer-handled forms to reduce overstretching.
We are always taught to lift with our legs and not our backs, but you should also remember that, when you bend, you should bend from the hips and not the waist. Be careful not to twist as you turn as this can also lead to painful back injuries. If you need to do something that would require you to twist, take the extra time to reposition your feet and stabilize yourself, rather than twisting and risking injury.
If you have pre-existing back problems, planting in raised beds or elevated containers can help prevent back strain by eliminating the need to get down on one’s knees. If this is not an option and you do have to kneel, be sure to use a kneeling pad. Also plan ahead and ensure that you have a form of sturdy support to help you to get back up on your feet and, in the event of an emergency, ensure that you have your cell phone with you, while you are working outside.
If you have particularly strenuous tasks that need completing, ask family or friends for assistance. If this is not an option, consider engaging the help of a younger person to assist with the more strenuous tasks, say for a couple of hours at the weekend. Students are often on the look out for weekend work. The opportunity can be beneficial for both of you, offering them some hands-on experience, as well as giving you a young helper for a few hours.
The most important thing to remember, as you go out to work in your garden is to pace yourself. Don’t try to do too many things at once and, if you need a break, be sure to take one – our bodies ache and hurt as a way of telling us that something is wrong. It is better to have a short stint of digging, take a break, and then return later when you feel more refreshed. Also, if the weather is cold remember to wear appropriate footwear and clothing, get out there and enjoy yourself.
Housework: One of the largest limitations of chronic back pain appears to hit normal activities associated with housework, gardening, and lawn work.
Gardening with Arthritis and other such Ailments
If you feel significant pain, stop the activity and wait until you feel better before continuing. If you feel pain the day after gardening, then reduce the difficulty and duration.
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Back pain Do you find it difficult to get out of bed in the morning because of too much pain? Does it take an hour or two for your body to “warm up”.
Exercises for lower back pain. Do you recall the day when you worked in the garden and woke up the next day and had some awful backache.
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