Spring has sprung and many of us will be starting to spend increasing amounts of time in the garden. Some of this time will be spent relaxing but much of it will be hard physical work.
Here are a few tips that should help you to avoid too many aches and pains after working in the garden:
- Before you start your day, warm up and stretch the muscles that you will be using. There is not much difference to your body between manual labour and sport so treat yourself like an athlete. There are a few videos showing some useful stretches on my Facebook page – www.Facebook.com/susanmartinsofttissuetherapy
- Keep hydrated. The body needs plenty of water to help transport nutrients around the body. If you are dehydrated you will get tired more easily and suffer more aches and pains after your work.
- Try to do a variety of tasks to exercise more muscles and avoid overusing a few. Repetitive strain injuries can affect many different areas and joints.
- Take regular breaks and don’t overdo it. Especially at the start of the season when you are out of practice.
If you do find yourself with pain following Gardening, again treat yourself like an athlete. Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (D.O.M.S.) is very common after all physical activity. It will pass by itself in a couple of days but an Epsom salts bath, gentle massage, some healthy eating and low impact exercise (swimming or yoga) can all help.
Please get in contact if you would like any help or advice.