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5 Tips to Avoid Back Pain while Gardening

By Alice Johnson
09th January 2018

If you have exciting plans for your garden and vegetable patch this year, it is important to make sure that you do not acquire an injury in the early stages of preparing the garden. Back strain can be a problem, so read these top tips to help reduce the likelihood of injury while gardening.

Warm up
Making sure you don’t go straight into a gardening activity will help reduce the chance of an injury occurring. You should carry out stretches before starting, then first attempt lighter tasks before more strenuous digging. It is advised that if it is a winter day to wait until the warmest period.

Avoid repetition
Continuing with the same gardening action, such as digging a large veg patch with a repetitive technique, can cause injuries. To help reduce the likelihood of this, you should make sure you do not carry out a technique for too long. It is also important to take breaks throughout strenuous tasks.

Lift appropriately
One of the easiest ways to injure your back while gardening is by lifting heavy objects, such as compost bags – attempting to pick up these things can cause very painful back injuries. If you are lifting items, make sure that they can be carried comfortably, and bend your knees instead of leaning over, which would put strain on your back. Instead, make sure your back is kept straight.

Reduce ground work
By considering different gardening techniques you can minimise the amount of activities that involve leaning down to ground level. For example, contemplate using raised beds, especially in gardens or plots where the soil is not in a favourable condition. Also try using techniques such as mulching to reduce the necessity to weed frequently.

Choose appropriate tools
It is important to make sure that you have the correct equipment needed for the different tasks to be carried out on your plot. It is also worthwhile choosing tools that suit your needs (such as long-handled versions), with various products now specifically designed to help reduce back strain.