>TIPS TO AVOID BACK PAIN
As a gardener, you know that along with the pleasure, there's pain! Yes, your garden is stunning because you've been weeding, hoeing, raking, clipping, chopping, digging, planting, cultivating and trimming. But oh, that aching back!
Here are some tips that will make your gardening activities less painful:
- Before you begin, do some warm-ups to loosen your muscles and increase flexibility. A brisk walk or jog is a good warm-up that increases your heart rate and circulation and prepares your muscles for the work to come. If you like to do stretching exercises, do them after your walk, when your muscles are warmed up and can stretch more comfortably.
- Long-handled tools keep you from bending while raking or digging. That's less stress for your back.
- It is better to kneel or get down on your hands and knees when working in garden beds, especially with low plants, or when you are weeding. Standing upright, and bending and twisting from the waist strains your back. Remember to always bend from the hips and knees rather than from the waist.
- Avoid lifting items above waist level and never above shoulder level. It's simply too much strain on your lower back.
- To lift objects without straining your back: Keep the object you are lifting close to your body. Bend your knees and use your thigh muscles to carry as much of the weight as possible. Lift with your legs, not your back. If you need to, lean forward slightly for balance.
- Carry manageable loads even if it means making several trips instead of one. Also try to carry balanced loads. Two smaller loads, one on each side will result in far less strain than one heavy load carried on one side.
- If you need to turn, turn with your whole body rather than twisting from the waist.
- It may be easier to push an object, rather than pull it.
- Switching hands frequently when doing garden chores helps prevent low back muscle spasms.
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