Gardening
Whether gardening is a pleasure or a chore, most of us have a garden which needs to be maintained. Pay attention to the following handy tips in order to help minimise the risk of injury and take the strain out of gardening.
The "Little and Often" Principle
Many tasks around the garden involve prolonged activities of a repetitive nature that may lead to aches and pains. To avoid strain, use the "little and often" principle or try switching from one task to another that uses a different group of muscles. For example: alternate digging with a job that involves stretching.
Avoid prolonged periods of:
- Gripping or repetitive jarring
- Bending or digging (Try some warm-up exercises to prepare your muscles
for the hard work)
- Kneeling or sitting back on your heels (even with a kneeling mat).
Manual Handling and Back Care
Many gardening injuries occur carrying heavy and frequently used equipment in and out of storage places. Make sure storage areas are easily accessible and avoid things like steps and tight corners.
Try to avoid working in a reaching position, (e.g: do not hold hedge trimmers or shears too far in front of you).
When bending, digging and lifting keep your back straight and bend your knees.
Tools
Always try out tools for lightness and balance before buying them.
Reduce the effort of hoeing and pruning by making sure the blades on your hoe, shears and secateurs are sharp.
Handles of tools such as spades, shears, rake and hoes should preferably be long. Ladies size forks and spades are lighter and easier to manage.
10 Top Tips
- Take a break every 10-20 minutes or between every change of task.
- Mow grass while it is short.
- Hoe weeds when they are young and easy to deal with
- Use a spade with a small blade to avoid the temptation of digging large spadefuls
- Use raised flower beds to reduce bending when tending them
- Place hoses strategically around the garden rather than carrying buckets and watering cans
- Build your greenhouse workbenches to the correct height to avoid bending (5-10 cms below your elbow height)
- Choose secateurs with a cut and hold action
- Don’t overload your wheelbarrow
- Go to a good garden centre and investigate specially designed tools to reduce the strain on your back.
Pay attention to any discomfort, don’t work through pain. Seek medical attention if pain persists.
For more information, speak to a physiotherapist at Milligan & Hill.
|
Appointments
Please contact Milligan & Hill on
020 7628 3575 or use the booking form |
