4 Chiropractic Tips for Gardening
By Brandi Swieter
Gardening often has people hunched over the ground tending to their plants. This practice can cause serious damage to the back if people aren’t careful. With all the raking, pulling, and motion, the back and other areas of the body will get sore quickly. Follow some chiropractic tips for gardening to make it a bit easier to manage.
Stretch Before Starting
The body must move in many ways while gardening. Even if the activity doesn’t seem like a workout, it can prove to be one with all the work that’s required. Stretching before starting will help the body to prepare and be flexible for all that’s to come.
Kneel on a Gardening Pad
Gardeners do not simply kneel on the ground with nothing beneath them. Firstly, it would leave the pants worn that day filthy with dirt. It would also become quite uncomfortable quickly. Gardeners should use a gardening pad that gives them a place to put their legs without them getting dirty that also adds extra padding and protection for the body.
Take a Break Every Few Minutes
The entire activity of gardening should only last about 30 minutes at a time. Every few minutes, it’s best to stand up and stretch out the legs. This will keep the blood flowing and prevent the body from locking up in the same kneeling position for too long. No one task should ever be completed for too long or else the body will become overworked and start aching in no time.
Lift With the Legs
Some tasks during gardening include lifting heavy objects, such as a bag of soil or a box of supplies. It’s never OK to bend at the waist and use the muscles within the back to pick these things up. Instead, squat down and lift using the muscles of the legs. This takes a ton of pressure off the back and leaves less of a chance for pain to set in.
Pain-free gardening is possible as long as people follow a chiropractor’s advice. Hunching over and repeating the same motions over and over won’t do any good for the body. Proper posture is key while gardening. Anyone who does experience back pain from the task should visit The Joint Chiropractic to alleviate some of the tension. The doctor of chiropractic may offer some additional guidance on how best to handle outdoor tasks this summer.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Henderson, Nev.