Gardening is a hobby enjoyed by many – but why is it that so many of us suffer with aches and pains when we go into the garden?
We’ve seen many people over the years come into the clinic with aches and pains related to gardening. The most common cause of these ailments can be attributed to too much time spent labouring at any one time – on average 5-6 hours. To put this into perspective, would you go to the gym and work out for this amount of time? I think that unless you were training for an ironman triathlon, the answer is most likey a big NO.
Here are some top tips for helping to avoid generating these aches and pains.
- Break down the tasks you have to do in the garden. Maybe approach it like you would a project. No need to write anything down, but apportion a time slot per area of work.
- Take regular breaks.
- Drink regularly (this will ensure the need to break to visit the loo).
- Stretch frequently.
- Avoid bending over for prolonged periods of time. Maybe thinking about getting handle extensions for your tools so that you decrease the strain on the back.
- Use the right tool for the job.
- Make sure that your posture is great and use the good alignment and your body weight to best advantage.
REMEMBER – gardening is exercise. Treat it with respect and it won’t stab you in the back.
Always stretch once you have finished – along with that well earned cup of tea or beer!