Get Garden Fit

As you’d expect, many of the injuries we encounter at our Auckland physio clinic in Epsom are sports-related. But you’d be surprised how many of the aches and pains we treat are caused by more domestic activities. Gardening is one of them, so with Spring nearly here, we thought we’d remind you of the importance of getting “garden fit”

Many of the activities you carry out in the garden are repetitive, and when done for too long, they can cause the types of aches and pains associated with tennis elbow. We suggest you break it up a little. For example, don’t do all the digging at once. Do some other tasks, such as weeding or pruning, in between short bursts of digging. That way, you use different parts of the body and avoid placing too much strain on just one part of it.

Wrist, shoulder and back injuries are common amongst keen gardeners and there are simple steps you can take to avoid them. For example:

• Do a few gentle stretches to warm up your body before you begin your gardening.
• When lifting heavy items out of the shed, bend your knees.
• Don’t overfill your wheelbarrow, buckets, or your watering can; carrying excess weight around the garden forces you to strain, and that can bring on the pain.
• Instead of carrying one large and heavy load, split it into two if you can and carry on each side of the body.

• Carry buckets, watering cans, and any other load as close to your body as possible. By carrying them too far away from you, you increase the stress on your upper body and back.
• When digging, keep your back straight and bend your knees. If you find you’re slouching over your shovel, invest in one with a longer handle.
• Sharpen the blades on any cutting and pruning tools to make the task easier on your wrists and shoulders.
• Head to your local garden centre and check out the gardening tools that are designed to reduce the strain on your back.

Spring is a great time of year for avid gardeners, but as we know only too well, it can also be a painful one when people become a little too avid! Some common sense and caution can help you avoid the gardening injuries we’re so used to treating, but if you do feel a few aches and sprains after a day in the garden, contact us straight away.