10 Spring Gardening Injury Prevention Tips
With the start of spring and warmer weather, it’s that time of year to get outside and build and tend your garden. Gardening has many health benefits, including reduced depression and anxiety, increased life satisfaction and quality of life, and consistent physical activity. However, gardening is a physically demanding activity and certain gardening tasks, like weeding, raking, digging, and mulching can place strain and stress on joints and muscles, particularly the back, neck, shoulders, knees, and wrists.
To prevent injury while gardening this spring, follow these 10 tips:
Warm-Up. Do a ten-minute stretch and muscle warm-up before gardening to loosen your muscles and joints and decrease the risk of straining a muscle.
Ease into gardening. Don’t overdo it with a three-hour initial gardening session. Instead, invest twenty to thirty minutes of gardening at a time and add more time as your body gets used to the positions and movements of gardening to avoid undue strain on your body.
Vary your gardening tasks. Avoid staying in one position for too long and overworking certain parts of your body. Alternate weeding and digging with watering and harvesting. Repetitive tasks and overuse of a certain body part can lead to tendonitis or low back pain, so switching up your tasks helps prevent repetitive overuse injuries.
Use proper lifting techniques. When lifting heavy bags of mulch or carrying gardening tools around the garden, be sure to lift using your legs, not your back. Keep the object close to your body and do not twist as that can strain your low back. Be sure your body is oriented in the direction you want to unload as injury can result when your hips and your upper body go in different directions when setting the item down.
a. When moving a heavy item, think push-pull-carry. Try pushing the item first, such as using a wheelbarrow to transport mulch or tools. If pushing isn’t an option, try pulling an item using a tarp, and lastly, carry the item using proper lifting technique. Following push-pull-carry helps reduce force and wear on the knees and spine.
Use and maintain gardening tools, such as wheelbarrows, tarp, carts, and ergonomic tools. Maintain your tools by sharpening dull blades or edges like shears and trowels so they are easier and more effective to use. Use long-handled tools with easy-to-grip handles to allow you to extend your reach when sitting or standing, instead of bending and straining your back. Wear gardening gloves to protect your hands from thorns, cuts, or scrapes while gardening or moving tools.
Alternate knees when kneeling or use a garden stool. Kneeling on both knees can cause knee and back pain. Instead, kneel on one knee with the other foot on the ground and alternate periodically. Use a gardening pad when kneeling or reduce strain by sitting on a garden stool.
Avoid bending your wrist upwards when using tools or weeding. Keep your wrist straight and use your shoulder muscles to pull and lift to reduce wrist strain, tendonitis, or carpal tunnel syndrome.
Use correct technique when digging or shoveling. Insert the head of the shovel vertically into the ground and step on the blade. Lift small amounts of dirt at a time, avoid twisting, and keep your back straight and knees bent.
Cool down and stretch at the close of your gardening session. Stretch your back, neck, and limbs to prevent strain and cramping. Do a short cool-down walk around your garden to loosen up your muscles and relieve any tension.
Use flower boxes, pots, and raised beds to avoid stress on the body by minimizing stooping and bending. Using a vertical garden or hanging baskets are other ways to garden without the need to bend and kneel, which can strain your knees, back and neck.
Gardening is a full-body physical activity and one of the many joys of springtime. Follow these 10 tips to prevent injury while gardening. If you do experience neck, back, shoulder, or wrist pain during the gardening season, our physical therapists are here to help and address your pain effectively and efficiently to get you back out in the garden.
