Back Pain and Gardening

An interesting article from The Cape Cod Times, as the summer keeps attempting to appear and the garden beckons.
By STEPHANIE FOSTER
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
May 07, 2009
Gardeners' minds are active most months of the year, but what about their bodies? As soon as the soil is warm, many gardeners will be digging, bending, lifting, stretching and exerting themselves in ways they haven't since fall. Even walking on a regular basis isn't enough to stay fit for gardening, according to Carol Penfield, a nurse practitioner, personal trainer and owner of the Chatham Health & Swim Club.

"People go from sloth to being highly active. Specific body positions put them at risk. When people are active in the summertime, an injury can keep them from something they enjoy. I want them to be able to enjoy their activity longer," she says, sitting in her office at the facility on Crowell Road in Chatham.

Grow your gardening fitness
Basic tips from Carol Penfield, R.N., on getting in gardening shape. If your club or group is interested in getting in shape for spring, call Penfield at 508-945-7761.

Don't set yourself for stiffness: Change your body position frequently. For example, when bent forward gardening, before rising to a standing position, place your hands on your thighs and tuck under and release the pelvis five to 10 times.



Take a break every 10 to 15 minutes. Set your watch alarm or, if listening to an iPod, rest at the end of each song.

Shrug off achy necks and shoulders: Place your hands on your hips; pull your elbows back and squeeze your shoulder blades together. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat every 10 to 15 minutes.



For shoulder pain, slowly backstroke the arms using a range of motion that is comfortable.


Grease the elbow: Maintaining a grip on a trowel, pruners or shovel can lead to elbow pain. Periodic stretching of the forearm can help relieve discomfort. Extend the arm out straight, making a fist, and push the fist down toward your torso and hold for 10 seconds.Step back from back pain: Do daily posture and back exercises. Do your work on a table or use raised beds. Lunge when raking. Stretch afterward and during the day.Keep knees happy: Keep your joints properly aligned, change positions frequently and use a kneepad or chair. Avoid doing too much, too fast for too long. Pay attention! Overuse of the body can lead to tendonitis, bursitis or back pain.For more information on gardening fitness, visit:


www.chathamhealthclub.com and click on health tips;

www.gardenfitness.com/garden_fitness_plan.htm;


www.flower-and-garden-tips.com/exercise.html; and www.allegromedical.com/blog/gardening-stretches-and-exercises-for-pain- free-gardening-787.html .
Each spring, Penfield, a vegetable gardener herself, offers free classes and advice to area garden clubs to help their members get in shape for their favorite hobby. She lectures about body mechanics and anatomy and shows gardeners ways to improve flexibility, strength and endurance. She says it's also about being mindful of the body and avoiding physical stress.

Penfield says spring can be a dangerous season for many people who are active but not athletic. Suddenly there is a surge of activity that puts bodies on overload.

Annie Maquire, a personal trainer at Gold's Gym in Mashpee, agrees. "A lot of older people haven't been exercising all winter. They'll be spending hours and hours bent over. It's tough on the lower back and legs. Pulling weeds goes straight to the back. They're at it for four or five hours. They need

to strengthen the lower back and legs..

Penfield says gardening tends to be repetitive activity, putting people at risk for tendonitis. "Gardeners get lost in a project and hold a specific position for a long time. It causes stiffness, achiness or pain. They tend to lose themselves in time," she says.

Flexibility of the knees is one problem gardeners encounter. "Getting down and up involves leg strength and knee flexibility," says Penfield. "They can walk all year round, but kneeling is different. When they walk, there is only a slight bend to the knees. When they garden, the bend is beyond a 90-degree angle. It's the same concept for the back."

Vicky Burke-Marjewski, owner of Mid-Cape Racquet and Health Club in South Yarmouth, touts the benefits of getting in shape for the gardening season and the dire consequences if gardeners don't. She notes that gardening is a double whammy involving bending and twisting, which creates additional stress. "When you add the motions together, you can run into trouble from a strained back, muscle injuries to disk issues. Most of the process is bending over. It's hard on the knees," she says.

Flexibility is important along with core strength when gardeners assume odd positions, which they tend to do when concentrating on a project.

Penfield recommends developing a healthy style of working. "There are different ways to bend forward that will not aggravate the back. You can use the support of a low stool, box or crate. The torso can rest on it while you garden. Or use your own body. Brace yourself by putting your free hand on your thigh. Also, bend with your knees, keep the weight of items close to the body. There is a danger in heavy lifting coupled with twisting. It's improper body mechanics. The biggest risk is bending and then twisting. It puts people at higher risk. Always face your project, bending from the waist."

Penfield recommends starting with 10 to 15 minutes of exercise, five days a week. "Then add 10 to 20 percent more time until the garden season arrives. That's a minimum. You have to be realistic. No one is going to spend an hour on it. We're all in training for whatever activities we want to do, gardening or whatever else. There has to be some conditioning."

"It's about consistency," Penfield adds. "You don't have to be fancy. It can be basic. It's about enjoying a hobby for a long time to come. Exercise now and it will make gardening more enjoyable later."

Take a look at www.backpainloss.com for more on this subject