Common garden activities, such as digging, planting, mulching, and raking, can put stress on your muscles and joints. Our physical therapists can treat aches and pains that result from these activities. At Park Physical Therapy, we can address gardening injuries and help relieve your discomfort. Continue reading to learn some tips on how to garden pain-free.

Warmup Before Gardening

Gardening is a strenuous activity, so one tip is to warm up and stretch before beginning to prevent injuries. The body parts you should focus on stretching should include:

• Legs.
• Lower-Back.
• Upper-back.
• Neck.
• Spine.

Set Attainable Goals

When planning on gardening, set attainable goals and pace yourself. Getting everything done in one sitting is not always feasible. To avoid overworking and putting too much stress on your body, set reasonable goals for each portion of the day and see how you feel every couple of hours.

Change Positions Frequently

Another tip to follow when actively gardening is to switch activities and posture often. To avoid repetitive-motion injuries, don’t spend too much time on one task where you are making the same motion repeatedly. You can also change your positioning and stretch any body parts that start to ache. Taking a break every so often is also advised to rest your body.

Beware of Bending and Reaching

Bending at the waist to reach can make you susceptible to injury. This movement makes you vulnerable to losing your balance and falling. Make sure to bend with your knees and position yourself close enough not to reach. Reaching can put more strain on your lower back.

Keep Moving After You Garden

After you finish your gardening session, try doing some gentle backward stretching of your back or taking a short walk. These motions can help loosen muscles that were worked during gardening and prevent further injury. If discomfort still lingers, seek relief from a physical therapist. 

Contact Us

Gardening requires a lot of work and can strain your body. To remain pain-free, follow our gardening safety tips. If aches or pains result from a gardening session, seek relief from our staff at Park Physical Therapy. Contact us today to get a diagnosis and treatment plan from our specialist.