Gardening Fit week - Series 1 of 5



Most common gardening injuries and how to prevent them

April 1st and spring is on its way! Here in Toronto we are expecting snow this weekend but I have confidence that spring will prevail.

This is the first week of a five week series called “Gardening Fit” which will cover:

• Week One: Most common gardening injuries and how to prevent them
• Week Two: What does gardening require of your body?
• Week Three: Best gardening exercises: Lower Back Focus
• Week Four:  Best gardening exercises: Wrist Focus
• Week Five: Best gardening exercises:  Neck Focus

According to the Telegraph newspaper in the UK (March 31, 2016) gardening Dr Ian Drysdale, British College of Osteopathic Medicine Principal, said, "Every year the BCOM clinics prepare themselves for these gardening related injuries, but the majority of them are totally preventable.” 

The most common injuries resulting from gardening without properly warming the body up are gardeners back, weeders wrist and pruners neck.  Gardeners are so keen to get into the spring weather and get their garden ready that they work too hard and ask their body to lift and pull in ways that is not ready for.  Think through your gardening plan before heading out for a full day of gardening that your body is not ready for.

A few questions to consider:

1. What activities need to happen in your garden and how can you space the work out to prevent injury? 
2. Are you in danger of a repetitive strain injury with an activity that forces that same movement all day? Can you plan the gardening work differently?
3. Are you at risk for certain injuries? Is your core (lower back and abdominals) strong enough for the work?
4. Do you stretch at regular intervals when you garden?
5. Do you warm-up?

In the next couple of weeks I will show you the best exercises to get your body ready for gardening this spring.

Good Luck!

Erin

Vintage Fitness & Spirit50

Phone: 416-951-7978

Vintage Fitness is an in home personal training company in Toronto, Canada.  We specialize in energizing the lives of people over 50 with exercise. 

Spirit50 is an On-line personal training with an expert in 50+ fitness.  Inspiring movement for life.