It’s that time of year again … the sun is out, the temperatures have warmed up, and we get outdoors. Gardening is an outdoor activity that is a great form of exercise and an excellent way to boost our mood. During the winters we tend to be less active, then when spring and summer hits, we get to work on all the yardwork. Most of the time our bodies are not accustomed to this increased activity and unfortunately this is the perfect storm for injuries.

COMMONLY SEEN INJURIES WITH GARDENING:

 • Back pain that is caused from lifting heavy pots or bags of soil and bending over for long periods cleaning up weeds and debris.

• Knee pain that is caused from deep squatting/knee bending for extended periods.

 • Tennis elbow caused by excessive gripping/squeezing from raking, sheering, and digging. • Shoulder pain caused by repeated overhead reaching and stretching arms out in front of you. While injuries can happen with gardening, here are some tips to avoid it:

 1. Perform some stretching or warm up before doing gardening tasks. Warming up helps to prepare for the activity to come. This can be as simple as taking a walk around the block while mixing in some high knee marching, alternating butt kicks, reaching hands to the sky then bending down towards toes, or twisting upper body side to side

2. Pace yourself. You do not need to complete everything all in one day. When we try to do more activity than our body is used to, this is when injuries occur. Make sure to take breaks, assess how you are feeling and if you are able to continue or not. When pacing yourself, you can also vary the tasks that you are doing- going from something where we are working on the ground like weeding, to working on something in standing like raking or hoeing.

 3. Be aware of posture and body mechanics: A. Use proper lifting techniques when lifting pots and bags of soil. Keep the object close to your body, use your legs not your back. B. Use ergonomic tools: – A kneeling pad will cushion your joints while allowing you to adopt a half-kneeling, two-legged kneel or a full out hands and knees position.

– Long tooled handles to help with weeding

– If able, used a raised surface when potting plants, or elevated garden beds – Consider using a wheelbarrow to move heavy objects

-Consider squatting, kneeling, or sitting rather than bending over when weeding or planting. – Keep your tools close to your body and your back straight to reduce strain. Use your arms and avoid twisting your trunk. Get as close to your work as possible- don’t stretch beyond your reach, keeping a wide base.

Hopefully this article has given you some tips on how to stay injury free while gardening and you are able to enjoy a long summer out in the garden! Take your time with your projects and think about how your body is positioned. If an injury does occur, reach out to Megan at Donald Physiotherapy @ 306-933-3372.

Happy gardening!

-Megan Lautner