gardening

Gardening season is in full swing. What a beautiful time of year, but how’s your back feeling? Try these adjustments to your weeding & planting sessions, and let me know how it goes.

1) Before you hit the dirt, hit the floor with some Superman squeezes to warm up and tone your back muscles. Lie on your belly & lift your arms/legs/chest using your back muscles. Mix up the time/quantity to tolerance. Points for style creativity such as fake swim strokes or jumping jacks.
2) If you’re bending forward, use your big thigh & butt muscles, keeping the weight in your heels. Keep your belly muscles engaged! Hinge at your hips & knees, maintaining a flat back. Avoid rounding over with your upper body. Ouch! That hurts my low back just thinking about it.
3) If you’re down low weeding or planting, mix up your postures & always maintain a flat back w/ engaged core muscles. Alternate between a deep squat w/ wide knees, kneeling on one knee then the other, sit on a low seat. Whatever doesn’t hurt, but keep mixing it up.
4) Frequently stand up as soon as you feel twinges, and check out the top of that tree or watch that bird fly by while you squeeze your back muscles and your shoulder blades together for a moment.
5) Ahhh, then back to work! Keep your water handy and hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!!