Tips for Pain-Free Gardening
With all the crouching, bending and lifting required, gardening can often lead to aches, pains and even injury. But there are ways to enjoy this fun activity without the pain!
Check out some tips below from Mindy Bierlein, PT, DPT to stay comfortable and pain-free in the garden while reducing your risk for injury.
STRETCHING IS KEY
As with most activities, a little stretching can go a long way to avoid injury.
Taking a few minutes before you start gardening to walk a few laps around your garden and doing a few simple stretches before can make a huge difference in how you’ll feel the next day!
TAKE EXTRA CARE OF YOUR KNEES
It can be difficult to avoid kneeling completely while working in the garden. If you’ve had a knee replacement, check with your surgeon to see what’s safe.
Remember to:
- Engage your core
- Try to kneel on one knee with the opposite foot planted on the ground
- Switch knees every few minutes to distribute weight
- Stand every 10-15 minutes or as needed to give your knees a break and stretch them out
- Use a padded gardening stool with handles for extra comfort
DON’T IGNORE PAIN
If you experience and injury or have chronic pain from gardening, stop what you are doing. If you continue to have pain for 24-48 hours, don’t ignore it.
Request an appointment or a free 15-minute screening with an experienced physical therapist near you to learn the cause of your pain and get a fully customized recommendation to find relief.
For more gardening tips, click here to watch a webinar recording with Dr. Mindy Bierlein with more tips for pain-free gardening!