As we near the end of what has been a (fingers crossed) mild winter many people’s thoughts turn to outdoor work – planting vegetables and flowers in the garden, cleaning up leftover leaves and branches, and many other potential endeavours.
The writer of this piece has found that, in the spring and summer months, gardening can be an activity where people are very much prone to overdoing it. In this piece I share a few brief tips that can help with gardening…
Note that there will be some overlap with my blog on snow shoveling.
1 – Keep yourself in good shape
This is the first part of my snow shoveling article as well. I see people get in trouble with gardening as simply their fitness levels don’t meet the physical demands of gardening.
Working with a well trained Kinesiologist and Physiotherapist, like the ones we have at Carespace Health+Wellness, can provide the proper guidance with a routine to improve your fitness – especially if you’re dealing with any injuries or health issues.
2 – When gardening – keep the load close to you
In simple physics torque is force x distance. By minimizing the distance between you and the object you’re lifting – you minimize torque and thus stress on the body.
Of all the tips I’ve given clients in 8.5 years out of school – this is by far the #1 most important tip with regards to moving and lifting.
3 – Pace yourself
I always joke around that, when the weather gets nice everyone wants to go hard on the garden … and then every client I see the next Monday/Tuesday has overdone it. As I alluded to in the shoveling article it’s not the activity itself but rather too much of it
If you’re feeling quite sore, in pain, and/or fatigued afterwards it is a sign that you are likely doing too much it once and need to likely take breaks as you go.
Another tip that I have is using a timer to keep from overdoing it.
If you are dealing with specific injuries, have specific questions, and/or are struggling with applying these tips than I can help provide more specific guidance through a specific assessment.
4 – Determine priorities when gardening
Unlike snow shoveling, which often has to all be done at once, gardening doesn’t quite have the same level of urgency.
One tip I recommend for people is to make a priority list of what has to be done and when to help with pacing.
5 – Movement variability
An issue I find with gardening is prolonged periods of bending, kneeling and crouching. These activities by themselves are not inherently evil or dangerous – the problem is when
These activities are pushed beyond the body’s capabilities
People are in the same postures all day without any kind of variability in movement
The same logic applies to people who are slouched at a computer desk all day – it isn’t so much the posture itself but too much of the same thing.
Take some time to stand up, walk around and reset everything.
I hope this piece serves you well as you get out and go in the garden. As always – thanks for reading!
If you have any questions or would like to explore further, please book a free, no-charge online appointment with either myself. Eric Bowman, BSc, MPT, PT, or another Waterloo physiotherapy practitioner at CARESPACE. We are happy to listen and are here to help!
