Here is some quick insight from some solid sources on keeping your back and body healthy and happy when you get out into the earth to garden this spring…
If these are ringing true, and sound important to you, call me or e-mail me for more information on how to strengthen your core muscles.
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(HealthDay News) — Gardening is a great form of exercise, but it can also leave you with a painful backache.
The American Council on Exercise suggests how to garden without hurting yourself:
- Use correct posture and form.
- Warm up before you garden with a 10-minute walk.
- Make sure all of your movements are smooth and steady.
- Keep your abdominal muscles taut.
- Lift with your legs (never your back).
- Don’t twist your back while digging.
- Breathe regularly. Exhale when you lift, and inhale as you lower a heavy load.
- (link below)
http://news.yahoo.com/health-tip-gardening-triggers-back-pain-110409710.html
Here are my favorite tips 2 from a list of 12 in this WebMD article…
(these two will be covered and practiced in depth in the Gardener-Strong training!)
3. Maintain Good Posture
The pain may have started after a long workout at the gym, but the strain that caused it has probably been building for years. Wilmarth says most people perform their daily activities with poor posture, putting unnecessary strain on their back.
“Little things add up,” she says. “You can increase the pressure on your back by 50% simply by leaning over the sink incorrectly to brush your teeth. Keeping the right amount of curvature in the back takes pressure off the nerves and will reduce back pain.”
5. Strengthen Your Core
Most people with chronic back pain would benefit from stronger abdominal muscles.
“The torso is a combination of many muscle groups working together,” Frank B. Wyatt, EdD, professor of exercise physiology at Missouri Western State University, tells WebMD in an email. “If the abdominals are weak, other areas must pick up the slack. When we strengthen the abdominals, it often reduces the strain on the lower back.”
http://www.webmd.com/back-pain/features/back-pain-remedies-and-tips
