From Weights to Weeding: How Strength Training Can Help Your Gardening
One of the best parts of Spring is to be able to get back outdoors and enjoy the activities you love after spending so much time inside during the cold winter months. One of the most popular activities amongst our members is gardening. But getting up and down and the constant bending over can take a toll on your body. To help you prepare for gardening this Spring, we asked Geelong’s clinic leader and senior physiotherapist, Mitch Hodgson, for his top tips to avoid pain and injury in the garden.
What are some of the common causes of pain or injury when gardening?
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lower back pain from heavy or repetitive lifting
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shoulder pain from reaching or lifting overhead
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knee pain from prolonged kneeling
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hip pain from squatting, standing for long periods, working at ground level, or maintaining awkward positions.
Helpful tips to prevent injuries when gardening
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Stay strong. Keeping your tools in good condition reduces the chance of them not working. As a gardener, your most important tool is your body. If you want to stay pain and injury free while gardening, make sure your training program is tailored to help you achieve that goal. If you’re a Kieser member, speak to our team to see if you need to make any adjustments to your program.
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Pace yourself. When you do get back out in the garden, it can be tempting to try to finish all your gardening jobs at once. But it’s important to remember to pace yourself and take regular breaks to allow your body to cope with the physical demands of a day in the garden.
For Kieser Members: The Top 4 Kieser machines to help strengthen your body for gardening
If you train with us, here are some Kieser machines you can add to your program to build strength for gardening.
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B6 Leg Press: strengthens multiple muscles in the lower body to help with activities such as shovelling compost or mulch and digging holes for new plants.
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F3.1: helps strengthen your lower back, which is important when lifting bags of potting mix, pushing wheelbarrows and pulling out stubborn rose bush roots.
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C3: strengthens the lower back, which is important for overhead gardening work, such as pruning or clearing gutters.
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B1: strengthens the quads, which is important for gardening jobs that require squatting.
What should you do if you’re experiencing any pain after gardening?
If you’re feeling pain after gardening, you should consider seeing a physiotherapist. They will be able to assess whether you’re injured and develop a personalised treatment plan. You may also need hands-on therapy to help relieve pain and address any overworked muscles. Your treatment plan should include exercises to help you recover and strengthen the affected areas to prevent future injuries.
If you are keen to get into your garden this Spring and want to minimise the risk of pulling up sore afterwards, our team can help.
