Ten Tips for healthy Gardening
Gardening can be an excellent form of healthy exercise, but it can also lead to pains and strains if you forget to look after your body while you work. The Western Australian Branch of the Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) offers these tip to help you avoid gardening injuries.

1. Begin your gardening session with a few stretches to warm up the muscles and joints you’ll be using. This helps prevent injury and reduces soreness at the end of the day.
   
   
2. Make sure the area you are working in is free of obstacles such as gardening tools, bags and seedling trays. This helps prevent slips and falls.
   
   
3. Vary your activities so that you are not in the one posture for more than 30 minutes.
   
   
4. When doing tasks at ground level, like weeding or planting out, kneel rather than bend from the waist. Where possible, keep one hand on the ground for support as you lean forward.
   
   
5. If your garden beds are wide, step into the bed to work rather than lean in from the edge.
   
   
6. When shovelling, move your feet to change direction, rather than twisting your body.
   
   
7. Remember the rules for safe lifting :
   

   Get a firm footing with feet shoulder-width apart Bend at the knees and at the hips, using the strong muscles of your legs to lift Have a good firm grip on the load Keep the load close to your body Brace your spine and keep your back as straight as possible for the whole life Make all movements smooth. Avoid jerking or twisting.

   
   
8. Use a wheelbarrow to transport heavy items, but don’t overfill it! Position the weight over the wheel.
   
   
9. Observe the basic rules for working safety :

   Ensure heavy equipment and materials or items you use often are stored between waist and knee level, not overhead or below your knees. Where possible, work at benches built to your waist height. Clear the ground in front of the bench so you can stand close in Ensure your equipment is in good repair and of a size that feels comfortable for your own size and strength Use aids such as wheelbarrows and kneeling mats

   
   
10. Listen to your body! If it hurts, don’t continue the job, and if pain persists, see your doctor or physiotherapist. To find a physiotherapist, look in the Yellow Pages under "Physiotherapists" or call the APA.

Tips for your Back

Gardening is best done in moderation if you suffer from backache, as it is often difficult to avoid bending and twisting movements. Try to intersperse heavier gardening tasks such as shovelling with less physical demanding activities.

When pruning branches above the height of your shoulder, stand on a stool or stepladder rather than stretching up to the higher levels.

Use long handled tools wherever possible to prevent an aching back. If using short handled tools, crouch down close to the work, don’t stoop. Again, when seeding, kneel on one knee to prevent stooping. Rake all debris into one pile and then bend at the knees to pick it up.

When using a spade, position yourself midway between the hole you are digging and the set down place for the soil to minimise twisting the upper body.

Limit the load on the spade. Stand with one foot forward and bend your knees when digging the shovel into the load. Use the momentum of your body to help life the load.

When using a wheelbarrow, place the load to the front of the barrow and bend your
knees when lifting or putting down the barrow.

Avoid overfilling garden bags, wheelbarrows etc.

General points to consider :
* Space out your time in the garden
* Alter your position at least every 20 minutes
* Use long handled tools wherever possible.

The information in these notes was compiled by Health Promotion Services in association with the Royal Perth Hospital for the
West Australian Health Department