Gardening involves a lot of physical work. Such as mowing the lawn, weeding, raking leaves or planting new green additions. That exercise in the open air is very healthy, but unfortunately it can sometimes result in back pain, muscle pain or pain in the knees. We have collected tips to prevent this.
Stretch and warm up
Warm up your muscles before you start working in the garden. Take a short walk or do stretching exercises, using your legs, back and arms. Finish your garden chores with it. If it is very cold outside, wear warm clothing with the back well covered.
Reminds the goat
Bending over puts a lot of strain on the back. Do not do this too often or for too long in a row. For example, alternate it with squatting, sit on a stool or garden bench or move the job you have to do to a higher point if possible. You can easily place plants in pots upright, for example. You can also consider creating raised garden beds that are easy to reach and where you can sit on the edges. Or to put plants in tall pots. You can also plant bulbs by sitting on your knees. Protect your knees with a garden mat and do not stay in this position for too long. A holster, where you can store your (pruning) materials, prevents you from having to bend down to pick them up.
Using tools
If some garden jobs become too heavy for you, use tools that make gardening easier. Such as using an electric one instead of a manual hedge trimmer, using a grass robot instead of a lawn mower and using a scraper on a handle instead of weeding by hand. And a personal tip from the editors of MAX Today: an electric grass trimmer. They can be purchased for a few tenners and with the trimmer wire you can easily remove weeds in many places. Since the roots remain in place, the weed eventually grows back, but removing it again takes much less energy than removing it with the roots. A pruning shear with a roller handle also ensures that you have to use less force during pruning, so that the wrists and hands are spared.
Lift less
In the garden you often have to deal with products that are very heavy. Such as bags of soil or plants in pots. You can quickly overload your back when lifting it. Always lift from a squatting position with a straight back. If possible, transport the items with a (not too heavily loaded) wheelbarrow or ask if someone can help you with the lifting. If you use watering cans, fill them half full or use a garden hose or watering system.
Do you want to retil your garden? Then remember that the larger the tiles you choose, the heavier they are. A so-called tile donkey, which can be rented from various companies, can make the work considerably easier. With this device on wheels, you can move the tiles to where you need them.
Read also: Many job accidents due to overestimation of handymen, this is how you make jobs safer
Alternate and take breaks
By alternating the jobs in the garden, you prevent that you quickly get back pain, muscle pain or pain in the knees. It ensures that you always adopt a different attitude. Also take enough breaks to let the muscles relax in between. And don’t do everything in 1 day. Tomorrow is another day and so on.
Make the garden easier to maintain
Weeding is an intensive job, but you can take various measures to reduce this. For example, you can plant ground cover plants, which gives weeds much less chance to grow. You can also apply a layer of wood chips, shells or cocoa shells to your borders. If weeds do appear, they are easier to remove, because the roots attach less firmly. In an earlier article we give even more tips to prevent weeds.
Do you have a lawn that you need to mow regularly? You can also choose to let (part of) the grass grow higher and turn it into a flower field. Plant plants that don’t need to be pruned too often or replaced every year. And don’t dig up your (vegetable) garden anymore, but improve the soil with a layer of mulch.
What to do with back pain?
Once you have back pain, it is often better to keep moving than to rest and take painkillers. This also applies in the case of lower back pain. Back pain usually goes away on its own, but if the complaints last longer than a few weeks, it may be useful to make an appointment with your GP. Physiotherapy can often improve and, in combination with back-strengthening exercises, further pain can be prevented. Heat also works against the pain, such as a warm shower.
What to do with muscle pain?
Keeping the muscles warm often reduces pain. A warm shower or bath is very effective for this. Stimulating the blood circulation with a massage also ensures that the pain decreases. It also works well to eat protein-rich foods. Proteins already ensure stronger and healthier muscles, but also support recovery after overload. If you suffer from muscle pain, you can take paracetamol. In an earlier article we give more tips against muscle pain.
What to do with knee pain?
Knee pain can have different causes. For example, it may be that there is osteoarthritis. Unfortunately, osteoarthritis cannot be cured. However, there are treatments that can reduce the complaints and relieve the pain of the worn knee, because that’s what it’s all about. Pain in the knee can also be caused by a bursitis. It is better not to kneel for a while, but keep moving the knee. Painkillers (paracetamol) and anti-inflammatories (ibuprofen) can be used to combat the pain. In other cases, the pain often goes away on its own.
On the overview page of Garden & Balcony you will find many more tips and advice for garden and balcony enjoyment. From advice on the care of garden plants to practical tips on pruning and landscaping.
(Source: archive, Telegraaf, Tuinadvies, RTL Nieuws, HLN.be, Fysio Masters, Thuisarts. Photos: Shutterstock)
2023-07-30 04:02:26
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