Spring brings a whole raft of garden tasks; time to tidy up, start planting and get ready for the year ahead.
Our bodies are very well adapted to a variety of tasks and it’s great to be out in the fresh air getting exercise, but it is sensible to follow some simple advice points.
Clothes – Don’t wear clothes that are tight or could constrict your movement.
Warm Up – Gardening is like any other exercise; you need to warm up first. Don’t go straight into the heavy work; start off with lighter jobs as this will lessen the chance of muscle strain.
Clever planting – Use a kneeler to be as close as possible to the things you are planting and avoid too much bending. Plan ahead and have everything you need to hand.
Take a break – Vary your activity by spending no more than 20-30 minutes on any one thing and make sure you take regular breaks.
Clever spring pruning – Get as close as possible to the things you are pruning and avoid overstretching to reach the area you are dealing with.
– Invest in some long handled secateurs to reach plants and bushes that are beyond normal reach.
Plan ahead – If you are planning a trip to the local garden centre or nursery to buy heavy items such as compost, buy smaller bags rather than one big bag as they are easier and safer to carry. Better still, have it delivered direct to your home.
Top tips
– Don’t lift with your arms straight out, keep the elbows bent and to your side to minimise the stress on your back.
– If having items delivered, have them unloaded as close to where you need them as possible; this will save the effort of moving them again.
– A specialist garden trolley might be worth investing in to move these sorts of materials around, especially if you have lots of patio pots to move around as well.
Watch our video for tips