Chiropractic gardening tips: 10 ways to help you move and feel better this summer

Finally, the grass is looking greener, and the sunshine is paying us a visit. Warmer months mean that you can get back out into your garden; feeling the sun on your skin and enjoying the fresh air. If gardening is one of your favourite past-times, or even a new hobby that you’d like to enjoy, you’ll want to ensure that you make the most of this time, free from aches and pains.

Here are 10 handy Chiropractic gardening tips to make the most of your green fingers and help keep the aches and pains at bay…

1. Twist both ways

Turning and twisting to sweep leaves or plant into pots can create strain on the lower back. If you can try to twist to both sides. Turning yourself around to a pot or a border can help you to balance up the natural exercise you do when gardening.

2. Save your knees

Invest in a kneeling pad or sit on a chair. If you spend lots of time in discomfort on your knees, they’ll certainly not thank you for it. Not putting the pressure onto your knees may also help you to reduce inflammation or arthritic pain.

3. Try some wheels

There’s nothing worse than suffering from a back injury if you’ve been carrying lots of heavy plants. A trolley of some variety will not only save your back but also speed up your time in carrying plants.

4. Make sure you’ve got the right tools

If you’ve been using the same gardening tools for years, perhaps it’s time for some new ergonomic-handled tools. Reducing the chance of you experiencing a repetitive injury, they’ll help you when handing tools in your garden.

Award winning Basingstoke Chiropractor, James Harrison at the INSPIRE business awards 2017

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5. Get some extra help

If you have children or grandchildren, why not get them involved? It’s a great way to kids out into the fresh air, and they’ll enjoy seeing the results of their gardening labour too. A chore shared is a chore halved.

6. Raise me up

Well, your borders at least. Having defined borders will help to keep a tidy garden. And growing plants in raised borders 6 inches higher will certainly be kinder on your back as you’ll be doing less gardening while you’re bending over.

7. Don’t lose the end of the twine

If you’re using twine, why not thread it through the hole of a small clay pot? This will save you having to bend over to reach the twine, plus you’ll always have it ready for use. It saves having to hold it in your teeth and twisting your neck to cut it too.

8. Bend with your knees

Its easy to get lost in what you’re doing and forget that it is always best to bend your knees when lifting. Try not to bend from the hips. Not only will bending from the hips feel more uncomfortable but it will also put additional pressure through your muscles and back

9. Keep plants close to you

You’re close to your plants enough, you’re thinking… But we mean keeping your pots or the things you lift close to your chest. This is a great Chiropractic gardening tip as it means you put the weight of the object down your spine as opposed to into your muscles. This helps you to make the most of your natural biomechanical support mechanisms but should also make carrying the object easier.

10. Make time for tea

As with any exercise, gardening can take it out of you. A good session should be rewarded with a good cuppa! Why not use plant pots upside down with the saucer as an impromptu table? Giving yourself the break will not only give your muscles some space to relax but also will help you to admire your creation and give space for fuller mental wellbeing.

Don’t forget Chiropractic!

At Connective Chiropractic we operate to help you to get out of aches and pains and help you to feel better, stay better and be better. If you’ve been gardening and are unfortunate to have any aches or pains, you can do a lot worse than booking in for an initial consultation or a treatment session with us to help you out. Click below to be taken to our online booking pages…