Advice
Gardening Safety Tips
Warm up. Cumulative injuries, such as tennis elbow or tendentious occur when people overextend themselves on a job they tackle only once or twice a year. Stretch your upper-body muscles before heading outside. For overwhelming tasks, enlist help from family members, take frequent breaks, spread the job across several days or hire professional help. Also, pulling weeds can result in pain. To prevent strains and sprains, consider the following:
- Keep your back erect when working at ground level and when using long-handled tools, such as spades and rakes.
- Bend at your knees and hips to lift objects.
- Alternate or use both arms whenever possible.
- Keep your elbows bent.
- Don't rest your body weight on your elbows.
- Grip hand tools lightly.
- Work below shoulder level whenever possible. If you must work above shoulder level, perform the task for five minutes or less.
Created by: Melissa Rachiele (Action Sport Physio West Island)