Avoid Gardening Injuries

It is time to get back into the garden and start doing all the things we need to do to ensure we have a glorious outside space. So what do we do? We get out there and get on with it.

Let me share a statistic here before we go any further. Come spring, gardening-related injuries reach levels of epidemic proportions, both in numbers and intensity. Rushing back into your garden in spring is tantamount to a professional footballer going straight into a match after the holiday. Doctors are warning people to at least warm up, if not get fit, before going out in the garden.

Gardening injuries vary widely, from your common garden variety blisters and calluses to crushed extremities, puncture wounds, pulled ligaments and herniated discs.  As an absolute minimum, you should be doing some gentle stretching and warm up exercises before going out to the garden. 

There are many ways to make sure you are able to keep gardening through the summer.  For example, cushion your knees with knee pads or an old folded up blanket.  Alternate tasks so you don’t spend too long digging, but move on to pruning for a little while, then do some weeding and then come back to the digging.  This will avoid repetitive strain injuries.

Don’t bend from the waist to lift something.  It is better to squat and remember to face the way you need to go so you don’t turn awkwardly and twist your spine.  Using smaller implements, especially when digging, helps because there is less to carry.  It may take a bit longer but you will actually finish the job instead of spending the rest of the day as a casualty.

Perhaps the best and simplest advice would have to be:  if it hurts, stop!