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General Prevention Tips - Gardening
- Make sure your body is properly
conditioned when doing outside work. Warmed up muscles
will be less likely to tighten up or snap when under
the strains of bending, pulling, pushing, reaching
or stooping. You can warm up by taking a brisk walk
or doing simple stretching exercises such as knee-to-chest
pulls, trunk rotations, and side bends with hands
above your head and fingers locked.
- Always carry objects close
to your body, near your center of gravity. This minimizes
the strain to your lower back and neck.
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- Change positions if you're
involved in doing a task such as kneeling or sitting.
This will improve your circulation and mobility.
- Don't overdo it. Alternate
between several tasks to keep yourself alert, and
take regular rest breaks.
- Let your arms, legs and
thighs-not your back-do the work when lifting heavy
items such as bags of mulch or dirt. Bend and straighten
at the knees instead of your back and hips. Never
pick up a load that causes you to grunt-this is your
body telling you that you're overdoing it.
- The longer the handle on
your garden tools, the greater leverage you have and
the less force and twisting motions you need to perform
routine tasks. Imagine having to rake leaves with
a six-inch handle. The longer the handle, the less
work and strain. This is especially true for chores
involving raking, digging, pushing, and mowing.
- When doing ground-level
chores, such as weeding or planting, do not repeatedly
bend over. Rather, get close to the ground by either
kneeling or sitting (foam pads or small benches are
made especially for these kinds of chores).
- When doing prolonged tasks,
such as raking, hoeing, or digging, frequently switch
hands. This helps to maximize the amount of energy
reserves you use in muscles on both sides of your
body. Repetitive motion on one side of your body can
lead to serious problems, such as muscle spasms in
the neck, shoulder, and lower back.
- When you stand up after
crouching or kneeling for a long period of time, do
so slowly and gently to avoid muscle pulls or even
joint dislocations. Straighten your legs at the knees,
and do not lift your torso at the waist.
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