As springtime approaches, weather warms up and leaves turn green, many people will spend more time outside planting bulbs, mowing the lawn and pulling weeds. Gardening can provide a great workout, but with all the bending, twisting, reaching and pulling, your body may not be ready for exercise of the garden variety.
The back, upper legs, shoulders, and wrists are all the major muscle groups affected when using your green thumb. By performing these simple stretches before undertaking any garden task will help prevent injuries, pain and stiffness.
Garden Fitness Stretches
o Before stretching, there are a few tips to keep in mind. Breathe in and out slowly throughout each stretching exercise until the muscle is stretched to its furthest point. At that point, hold your breath in. When you relax, breathe out. Stretch gently and smoothly. Do not bounce or jerk your body in any way and stretch as far as you can comfortably. You should not feel pain.
o Stand up and prop your heel on a back door step or stool with your knee slightly bent. Bend forward until you feel a slight pull at the back of the thigh, called the hamstring. You may need to stabilize yourself by holding onto a garage door handle or sturdy tree branch. Hold the position for 20 seconds, then relax. Do it once more, then repeat with the other leg.
o Stand up and put your right hand against a wall or other stable surface. Bend your left knee and grab your ankle with your left hand. Pull your heel toward your buttocks to stretch the quadriceps muscle at the front of your thigh. Hold that position for 20 seconds, relax and do it again. Repeat with the other leg.
o Weave your fingers together above your head with your palms up. Lean to one side for 10 seconds to stretch the side of your upper body, then reverse. Repeat two or three times.
o "Hug your best friend": Wrap your arms around yourself after letting your breath out and rotate to one side, as far as you can go. Hold it for 10 seconds. Then reverse. Repeat two or three times.
Further Tips for Pain Free Gardening
o Plan your time carefully, set yourself a target and do not do any more.
o Try to vary your tasks; most post-gardening back pain is caused by repetitive work. For example, plan three activities, and alternate between them. Ideally, you should not work for more than half an hour at a time before taking a break.
o Use long-handled, lightweight tools wherever possible. When digging, keep your back straight when lifting the soil - never twist from side to side.
o Plant from a kneeling position, rather than bending or squatting with a bent back.
o Lift carefully; let your legs do the work. If the object is heavy, get help. It is best, when lifting from the ground, to drop onto one knee, gather the item towards you, then lift using your legs. Squatting down to lift is fine as long as you only go into a half squat - too far can put excessive strain on your knees and low back.
o Take care when carrying watering cans. It may be easier for you to fill a dustbin with water, right next to your flower or vegetable garden, rather than walk backwards and forwards with a heavy container.
o Buying in bulk is a lot cheaper. However, you may find that an 80 litre bag of peat is very heavy; it is easy to damage your back when lifting a bag of this size from the boot of your car. If you cannot get someone to help you with this, you may prefer to buy smaller bags. Alternatively, once home, open the bag inside the boot and transfer its contents to smaller containers.
o Finally, be aware of your posture while gardening and alternate your stance and movements as often as possible to keep the muscles and body balanced.
o If you do start to feel any pain, stop. Pain is a sign that there is something wrong. Try taking a warm bath, which may ease the aches. You could also try using an ice pack on the painful area, but take care not to freeze the skin.
If you still feel discomfort or pain contact your local chiropractor. The goal of a chiropractor is to treat the spine and help stimulate your body's natural healing process, therefore allowing you to return to your garden.
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