I love spring and can’t wait to get my hands in the soil to start gardening. I love being outside and moving again after a winter siesta. The healthy benefits of gardening are many with physical exercise being at the top of the list. Whether gardening to grow food or flowers or landscape and maintain a yard, gardening offers low- to moderate-intensity exercise depending on the task according to the American Heart Association. Digging, lifting, raking, mowing, pruning, and planting all produce whole-body movement increasing endurance, strength, balance and flexibility as well as burning calories. Getting out in the yard for just 30-45 minutes can burn up to 300 calories. Other benefits of gardening include lowering of cholesterol, blood pressure, and mortality, better hand function, higher bone density, and better psychological wellbeing.
For the most part, gardening is a safe, beneficial activity but can lead to injury if precautions are not taken. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that ERs treat more than 400,000 injuries each year related to gardening. Therefore, it is important to take note of garden safety to prevent injury.
Regardless of age, experts [1], [2], [3], in an AARP article, warn against jumping into gardening activities without preparing and warming up a little bit. Rather, they recommend pre-gardening preparation to build strength, stamina, and aerobic power to prevent injury as well as talking to your doctor before beginning any new regiment. The following exercises are recommended to strength garden muscles prior to gardening:
- Walk to warm up the muscles and build core strength. Stand tall and concentrate on core muscles as you move to support the back.
- Sit-to-stand exercises (raising from a chair to stand position without using hands) help to strengthen the thigh muscles and the core muscles for stability and improve mobility. Set a goal to see how many can be done in 30 seconds several times daily.
- Hamstring stretches help to keep the muscles loose and prevent lower back, knee, and foot pain.There are numerous ways to stretch hamstrings so it is best to find the stretching exercise that is personally best.
- Planks are great for building body strength as well as stretching and building strength in the arms, fingers and hands. Planks can be done on the floor or against a wall.
- Practice balance by standing on one foot to build stability and prevent falling.
Once one has properly prepared for gardening, safety should always be first and foremost in the way we use our body and tools in the garden. For your comfort, safety, and the good of your back and knees, keep these tips in mind:
- warm up and stretch prior to activity;
- begin with light movements;
- stand tall occasionally to stretch the legs and roll the shoulders to relieve tension;
- lift with one’s legs instead of back to prevent back injury;
- avoid repetition; switch up activity every 15 minutes;
- practice caution when raking and shoveling; learn safe use of rakes and shovels from the University of California Agricultural Resources [4] to prevent strain to the back, shoulders, and wrists;
- kneel instead of bending; consider wearing knee pads or using a cushion;
- apply sun screen with a SPF of 30 and ultraviolet A and B protection;
- consume plenty of water while working to stay hydrated;
- wear a hat or other protective clothing as needed; mask when using chemicals;
- wear gloves to protect hands from blisters, chemicals, sharp tools, etc.;
- use the correct tool for the job;
- maintain your tools and use them properly.
Gardening not only provides physical activity but can also be a great source of happiness. You may garden to grow nutritious fruits and vegetables or beautify your world. Whatever your reason, enjoy your gardening chores but keep your body fit and work safely to prevent injury.
