Gardening tips to avoid injuries!
Every spring those with a green thumb are just itching to get outside, dig up the garden and get those plants in the ground. Gardening is generally considered to be a healthy hobby. One study that involved gardeners over 65 years of age even found that gardeners reported “significantly better balance and gait speed(walking speed) and had fewer chronic conditions and functional limitations than non-gardeners.” However while planting those perennials, it’s important to avoid some common mistakes that can end up causing significant injuries. Here are some suggestions how to prevent the injuries associated with gardening:
Start by removing your jewelry! It may sound like it couldn’t happen to you but rings and dangling jewelry can get caught in garden tools and can cause nasty injuries to your fingers and other parts of your body.
Similar to the first suggestion, wear protective gear and clothing. This includes a good set of gardening gloves to protect your hands from cuts, scrapes and infections; a pair of knee pads (or a gardening pad) to protect your knees if you’re kneeling; and a wide brimmed hat and longer, cooler clothing to protect you from the sun’s ultraviolet rays.
Warm-up! Many gardeners skip this step and get straight to the digging. This is a big mistake and is a reason why there are so many cases of back pain after a weekend tending to the garden. Some simple stretches such as these by the Canadian Chiropractic Association can help prepare you for the demands of digging in the dirt.
Don’t do it all in one day! This is probably the one most people have trouble with. Set a limit of only 1.5 hours to start with if you haven’t been engaged in activities similar to gardening all winter. You can always work up to longer periods. Playing a sport such as soccer or baseball for more than 90minutes might lead to injury if you aren’t ready for them, why would you think digging, lifting, hauling and reaching overhead for long periods would be any different?
Think about your movements before you start. For instance, getting close to your work, keeping your back straight, lifting with your legs, avoiding bending and twisting together by facing your work, and keeping loads close to your body is a good way to prevent lower back pain. Use a wheelbarrow or garden cart if you need to haul heavy items around your garden.
Vary your activities and take breaks! Digging or reaching overhead for an hour straight is a great way to end up with an injury. By changing tasks to something else such as pruning or watering can reduce repetitive strain injuries. Taking a break every 30 minutes is also a good way of preventing overexertion.
Use the correct tools and keep them safe! Some tools have longer handles such as garden shears to reduce the force it requires to cut back the jungle! A sharp blade requires less effort to cut and is less likely to slip and lead to a nasty injury.
Drink lots of water and aim to work in the mornings or evenings when it’s cooler. ! It’s easy to become dehydrated when you’re working out in the sun. If you feel like you’re gulping water when you do drink, you probably haven’t been drinking often enough.
Stop if something doesn’t feel right! There is no point in pushing through the pain and doing so may make your injury worse.
If a gardening injury does occur, feel free to contact me and we can discuss the next steps to get you back to a healthy way to enjoy your garden!
