Growing pains: Be productive and passionate about your green patch without painful physical results

IT may seem a gentle pastime, but gardeners need to prime their bodies for spring, writes MICHELLE POUNTNEY.

Senior Man Suffering From Back Pain Whilst Gardening

THERE’S nothing nicer for many people than a productive day in the garden. But a passionate pastime can have nasty, painful results by nightfall.

With spring here, more people are spending hours out in the garden using muscles that have seen little action over the cooler months.

And the result can be a surge in back pain, tendinitis, muscle soreness and other injuries that can put a dampener on an otherwise fulfilling activity.

Physiotherapist Kusal Goonewardena, head of Melbourne University Sports Medicine and founder of Elite Akademy, says people often don’t take adequate breaks in the garden.

“People tend to be in a static posture such as squatting or kneeling for a long time if they are weeding, or if they are doing something like uprooting a tree the forces they use are very high — and in the garden people tend to ignore the warning signals,” he says.

Listen to your body

The most common garden complaints are sore backs, muscle pain and headaches.

Sunburn is also a regular outcome of a day outdoors as gardeners forget to cover up.

“Gardening is something people do because they love it,” he says.

“But if you don’t look after your body, like an athlete, you can injure yourself and get frustrated. But that can be avoided.’’

If you want to enjoy watching your garden grow instead of feeling pain, Goonewardena says there are a few things you need to be mindful of while you work.

When doing activities like planting that requires you to bend over, be sure to take frequent breaks. Picture: Getty

Your body is primed to give warning signs such as apprehension of movement and stiffness when something is wrong.

Take a break when your body starts to complain and do some stretches to loosen the affected muscles.

“If you are in a static position, such as weeding, you should maintain that posture only for 15-20 minutes at a time then do something else,” he says.

“Even the simple task of going inside for a drink and coming back out will replenish you.”

Headaches frequently occur during gardening because you bend over for long periods. They often occur in tandem with shoulder pain from being hunched over.

At the first sign of a headache, take a break and sit upright or switch to a garden task that doesn’t require you to have your head down.

High force

If your day job involves sitting behind a desk your body is unlikely to be primed for repetitive or high-force activities.

“Say if you’re an accountant used to sitting at a desk, some garden jobs suddenly put high forces through the hand, wrist, elbow and shoulders that the body can’t absorb,” Goonewardena says.

In some cases, such as using an axe or hitting something hard, the forces that reverberate through the body may cause whiplash and after a day in the garden it’s not uncommon for people to wake the next morning and find they can’t move their neck.

Gardening can be a satisfying past time but like any physical activity, it requires preparation and a sensible approach. Picture: Thinkstock

If you’re working on a big garden project over a few weekends, Goonewardena recommends gardeners have a massage during the week to help their muscles recover.

“A good remedial massage on areas where you notice apprehension and stiffness will help,’’ he says.

Have a relaxing warm bath after a day in the garden, and add lectric soda crystals to help soak away aching muscles and joints and reduce swelling.

But if the pain persists, see a professional.

Remember

• Take a break

• Wear sunscreen

• Do some stretches

• Wear a hat

• Have a massage

• Soak in the tub

Originally published as Growing pains: Be productive and passionate about your green patch without painful physical results