Sarah Jackson, writing in the The Olympian (Tackle Yard Work Wisely), discusses safe gardening techniques and tools.
Some of her ideas and tips for a safe and productive gardening workout include:
- Get on the ball – Use an inflatable exercise ball as a base for garden work
- Bring the garden to you – Use raised beds, containers and trellises to reduce the amount of bending
- Kneelers, kneepads – Prevent scrapes, bruises and dirty knees
- Sit down – A cart, bench, or stool can keep you in a more comfortable position
- Use effective tools – Clean, sharp, well-oiled, long-handled tools can reduce back, knee and hip strain
- Go ergonomic – Fat, soft handles are better for gripping than those that are thin and rigid
This article echoes an earlier blog entry (Gardening With RSI), for those who enjoy a garden but want to minimize the potential problems, or work around an existing RSI condition.
Here’s another interesting article on the subject of yard work (in this case, raking leaves): The Raking Game: Warm-up routine and gear you need to survive the season.
