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Updated May 7th, 2009
By Robin Corwin - LCF Outlook
Warm Up Before Gardening
It’s been scientifically proven
that gardening is good exercise.
But, like any exercise, it can be
overdone — with painful results.
Local massage therapist
Susan Young wrote to me recently
about the surge in gardenrelated
complaints she witnesses
every spring. She kindly offers
some helpful tips.
“It makes perfect sense to
expect serious aches and pains
after working in the yard for six
hours straight,” she said. “You
need to set limits.” Young suggests
spinning off some of your
enthusiasm into less physical
aspects of gardening like
researching pest control, planning
the beds and purchasing
materials. She also stresses the
importance of regular rest
breaks.
Warming up before gardening,
just as athletes do before a
run, is also beneficial.
“Take a little time to stretch,
and rub your palms over joints
like knees and ankles to warm up
the ligaments and help the joints
flex like they’re supposed to,”
Young said. “Stretching during
breaks helps decrease soreness in
muscles, which have been dormant
like the garden over winter
and it helps you tune into your
body midday if it’s complaining
about what you’ve asked of it.
“Chances are excellent that if
your back is aching after three
hours of gardening, it will feel a
lot worse after six hours.”
Young also suggests choosing
tools and devices that protect the
body. Thick foam kneeling pads
keep knees dry and minimize the
soreness associated with weeding
marathons. Work stools allow
you to tend plants while seated
and to take well-deserved breaks.
My favorite product is a padded
kneeler with sturdy raised handles
for pulling yourself up after
kneeling chores that flips over to
become a handy bench. Several
gardening specialty catalogs also
carry ergonomically-designed
hand tools that prevent carpal
tunnel injuries.
Think carefully before lifting
heavy loads. I use a hand truck to
move large clay pots and a
wheeled garden cart for mulch
and potting soil.
Young favors several post-gardening
recovery strategies for
decreasing muscle soreness and
joint pain.
“Perhaps there’s a hot tub
near the garden where you can
relax and survey your work,” she
said. “Icing complaining joints
can decrease inflammation
caused by overuse and antiinflammatory
medications or
creams can be appropriate for
some people.”
Her favorite post-gardening
recovery strategy, of course, is
massage. She knows firsthand
that a good massage therapist can
help work out your pre-existing
kinks and weed out new ones
caused by overzealous gardening.
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