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Growing Pains: Prevent Gardening Injuries
Gardening is a relaxing pastime that seems suitable for everyone. In reality, many gardeners often harvest injuries along with their crops because they forget how physically demanding working in a garden can be. The back, legs, shoulders, elbows and wrists are all major muscle groups affected when using your green thumb. Even a small plot requires digging, raking, bending, reaching, lifting, and carrying — activities that use muscles that may have hibernated over the winter. These repetitive motions can lead to injuries, like sprains or strains, or aggravate existing conditions, such as arthritis, bursitis and tendonitis. Fortunately, most gardening injuries can be avoided. Just as your beans won’t sprout overnight, don’t push yourself to complete all of your gardening tasks in one afternoon. Spread the work out over a couple of days. Start off slowly and take frequent breaks. Don’t work until you wilt. Plant yourself properly. Use correct form and posture while gardening. Avoid bending your back or twisting at the waist. Bend at the knees when lifting objects, pulling weeds, or planting. Stretch your limbs frequently to prevent muscle strain. If a day in the garden turns into an evening of aches and pains, rest, use icepacks on your sore muscles, and take an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication to reduce alleviate pain and swelling. If symptoms persist, contact your physician. Stretch your limbs; avoid sprouting an injury You can reduce your risk of aches and pains by performing the following exercises before gardening. - Quadricep Stretch — Stand upright and hold onto a sturdy table or chair. Grasp the ankle with your hand and gently pull the heel toward your buttocks. Hold the stretch for 10 seconds. Repeat and switch legs.
- Bear Hug Stretch — Wrap your arms around yourself and rotate to one side, stretching as far as you can comfortably go. Hold for ten seconds and reverse. Repeat twice.
- Hand Stretch — Hold one hand straight out with palm facing up. Use the opposite hand to gently push back your fingers and wrist. Hold for five seconds, repeat five times on each hand.
- Elbow Twisting Exercise — With outstretched arms, practice wringing out a dry terry cloth with both hands. Repeat ten times.
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