Gardening can certainly cause a host of aches and pains. Why? Because it requires us to twist, bend, and reach, and causes us to spend too much time in precarious positions that are not healthy for our bodies. This is all compounded by the limited window of fair-weather opportunities we have here in the Northwest. Today we are continuing our spring series on how to set up your garden and position your body to avoid lower back pain.
Let’s start by thinking of gardening as a workout. First, you need a warm-up. You could walk, march in place, or maybe take a Parkinson’s boxing-bootcamp class—anything that will raise your heart rate and increase your core temperature. Jumping right into gardening with cold muscles is never a good idea. It may save you time in the beginning, but it will eventually result in pain and may set you back for several days. After you’ve warmed up, you should do several extension exercises. Gardening and yard work almost always involve forward-flexing of the spine, which is particularly bad if you have Parkinson’s disease. The key is setting up your garden area to avoid the temptation to work too long and too fast without taking an Extension Break.
I recently taught a live online seminar on techniques for proper stretching to get you ready for spring activities. Watch this video clip and check out my tips below on how to stretch and move safely by positioning your body properly while gardening:
Tips to Prevent Hurting Your Back While Gardening:
- Place a chair by your garden and take a stretch break every 20 minutes.
- Do not bend over a table or your gardening area to reach the opposite side. Walk around or sit when trying to reach something further away. Your back will thank you.
- Hinge at the hips, both seated and standing (squat vs. rounding your back). Your hips are strong and meant for this action.
Seated hip hinge
Standing hip hinge
- Use gloves with a non-slip surface for easier gripping.
- When kneeling, use kneelers, an old pillow, or knee pads.
- Keep all projects, garden or otherwise, directly in front of you. Reaching forward strains your back muscles.
- Pulling weeds using your back puts you in a dangerous motion to get hurt. Use just your arms or ask for help with bigger, heavier tasks.
Remember: move often! No one likes to be laid up with a hurt back, so take a break to stretch every 20 minutes and drink lots of water. This will allow you to return to your garden or yard project in the following days.
Enjoy the outdoors, it’s nurturing to your body and brain!
💜 Coach Kimberly