Having had the strangest weather goings on in the UK for years, I’ve been tempted to think once more of rotivating, pruning and mowing. I like to think that I’ve got green fingers but I won’t presume to offer any gardening advice here: what I do want to discuss with you is how to treat your garden as an opportunity to exercise safely and efficiently.
Just as your garden needs preparation before it will thrive, you need to prepare before you pull on your wellies and grab your clippers.
Get ready!
• Do stretching exercises, without bouncing, for a total of 10 to 15 minutes spread over the course of your work. Do knee-to-chest pulls, trunk rotations, and side bends with hands above your head and fingers locked. Take a short walk to stimulate circulation. When finished gardening, repeat the stretching exercises.
• Stand as straight as possible, and keep your head up as you rake or mow.
• When raking, use a scissors stance: right foot forward and left foot back for a few minutes, then reverse, putting your left foot forward and right foot back.
• Bend at the knees, not the waist, as you pick up piles of leaves or grass. Make the piles small to decrease the possibility of back strain.
• When lifting heavy buckets, watering cans or pots keep you back straight, bend from the knees, and hold the item close to your body. Never twist and bend.
• A good technique for planting or weeding is to squat with one knee on the ground, rather than
bending at the waist. Use kneepads or cushions to protect your knees.
• When mowing, use your whole bodyweight to push the mower, rather than just your arms and back.
• If your mower has a pull cord, don’t twist at the waist or yank the cord. Instead, bend at the knees and pull in one smooth motion.
• Drink lots of water. Wear supportive shoes and thick gloves. If using electronic equipment, wear ear and eye protection. If you have asthma or allergies, wear a mask.
• Try ergonomic tools – they’re engineered to protect you when used properly. If you have arthritis in your hands, use garden tools with large handles. If you have back problems, use tools with long handles. I have personally Wolf tools to be good (the red and yellow handled ones)
• If you do feel soreness or stiffness in your back, use ice to soothe the discomfort. If there’s no improvement in two or three days, see your local chiropractically trained health practitioner
Get fit!
Gardening uses all the major muscle groups and your legs, buttocks, shoulders, stomach, arms, neck, and back all get a workout. Gardening also increases flexibility and strengthens joints and the muscles that do most of the calorie burning in the human body.
Vary your tasks rather than get absorbed in one activity. Break up strenuous gardening chores with more moderate and enjoyable activities. For example, break up a session of hoeing with some repotting using a waist height table.
Make sure the time of each garden activity adds up to no more than 30 minutes at a time. Each activity should last at least 8 minutes. If you’ve been inactive, build up to the 30-minute total gradually. Example, if you need to weed, build up to 30 minutes, then mow for 30 minutes, then prune or dead head for 30 minutes then back to weeding. To do it all in one stint risks potential injury. Pay attention to your muscles as well as to your exertion levels. Your body is very good at telling you when you over do something, so please listen to it.
Digging and shovelling are big calorie burners (250 to 350 calories per half-hour). Each depends on the muscles of the legs and stomach, arms and shoulders, and neck and back. Don’t push yourself: remember pain is a warning sign so stop immediately if you experience pain.
If you’ve been thinking about starting a compost pile, now there’s another good reason to do it. Turning compost burns 250 to 300 calories per half-hour.