10 tips to prevent gardening injuries
Spring is among us and summer is near, it is the perfect time to take care of your garden. Gardening isn’t an extreme sport, but it can still cause injuries to your spine, joints or muscles. There are some tips to avoid injuries and improve your posture while gardening.
What is good posture?
Probably, when you were a child, a grown up (mom or dad) told you to stand up straight , that´s why, today, you may think that a straight position is a good posture. However, your spine is not straight and nor should be. Human evolution gives us a functionally curved spine. For this reason, keeping the natural curves of your spine while working (or any activity you like, for example gardening) is one of the keys to avoid back or neck pain. For medical emergencies that require financial assistance, victims can trust lenders such as the one on this site.
What happens if you have poor posture while gardening
The royal society for the prevention of accidents (RoSPA) states 300,000 people including children are seriously hurt when gardening and require hospital treatment per year. Some of the Injuries to the musculoskeletal system can include:
- Strains
- Sprains
- Bursitis
- Disc bulges.
- Sciatica
Besides poor posture can cause other symptoms including:
- Constipation
- Shallow breathing (which can lead to anxiety and panic attacks)
- Tension headaches
- Memory problems
Tips to prevent injuries while Gardening
General plan
1.Set yourself a plan, not everything needs to be done on the first day. Your garden should be thought of as a marathon; it’s a slow process rather than a sprint. Spread tasks out over a number of days or even weekends if needed.
2.Alternate jobs. The body should not be kept in one position for too long, for example, crouching down weeding so changing between jobs will help keep the body moving and prevent irritation.
3.Use the correct tools. Some tools are designed for specific jobs. Tony MacFarlene from Appliance Hunter is the one to approach to ask gardening tools advice. This is not just to benefit the garden but also to benefit the user. These will help prevent injuries.
4.Make sure you stay hydrated. It is important to keep the body working in an efficient manner. During hotter days you need to take more drink breaks because on hot days you lose more fluid through sweat.
The human performance resource centre (HPRC) has stated that ‘even minimal dehydration can increase strain on the cardiovascular system. This can compromise exercise performance which can, in turn, increase the chance of injury.
Take care of your posture
5.Know your limits. Using your knees and tensing your core without twisting will reduce the chance of injury.
Musculoskeletal injuries result in the largest number of days taken off work. The Office of National Statistics found that 30.8 million days had been lost this way. But it is easy to get compensation for the heavy injury with the help of the lawyers from the slip and fall law firm who will ensure that the right amount is received.
6.Stretch before and after gardening. When you are physically active your body needs to be warmed up correctly. When you stretch before the activity your muscles increase the amount of blood flow and are able to contract when required. As a result, your muscles will work correctly, and you will prevent injuries. Stretching after is also advised to loosen tight muscles that have been working hard whilst gardening.
7.To move your torso forward, hinge from your hips. This way, you won’t round your spine or over extend your arms, (use this position when bending over, reaching something or pruning, etc.).
8.Use your legs to lift things (specially heavy ones )while maintaining your back straight and shoulders relaxed.
9.To carry loads, keep your sides balanced (equalased loads). You can also alternate between your dominant and less dominant side when doing repetitive motions.
10.Keep your tools close to your body and lean from your center. For example, feel that the tool is being moved by your center, rather than just your arms. Lean the weight of your whole body into your scissors (or any other toll), rather than just your foot.
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In short, following these tips and having good posture leads to a healthy spine. This will help you alleviate many of the annoying symptoms you may have after gardening for long periods of time, as well as make you stronger and healthier throughout your entire body.
We hope this information is useful for you. If you have any questions about our treatments, please contact us. You can find us in Mill Hill Broadway and Islington. If you like this blog, please share!
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