Are you tired of feeling intense pain in your lower back after a day of landscaping? Taking care of your yard is a fun and fulfilling project, but it can no doubt be hard on your body. But you shouldn’t have to worry about contacting your chiropractor in Wheat Ridge every time a nice weather day permits yard work.
Is it just the nature of the beast; bending over several times to pull weeds or tend to your garden? Or is there a better way? In this blog, we’re tackling some simple ways to make landscaping less strenuous on your body. Get back to enjoying the outdoors and taking pride in managing your yard.
Gardening & Yard Work Should Be Peaceful
These rewarding activities should be a therapeutic outdoor routine for you. You shouldn’t have to dread something you like because of the pain it brings you. This gets worse as you get older as well, which is why you have to be creative in how you attack your yard.
Whether you’re growing flowers for your viewing pleasure or cultivating an organic vegetable garden to harvest fresh ingredients, the experience should be relaxing and peaceful.
Why Is Yard Work Hard On Your Body?
One of the biggest complaints about landscaping or yard work is the strain it puts on your lower back. This is to be expected if you’re constantly bending over to tend to your plants. This hurts your posture and can be the catalyst for a lifetime of chronic pain issues if you aren’t careful.
If you already have health issues, particularly back issues, it can make working in the yard unbearable. That’s why it’s important to think about how to make the process less stressful on your body. It will help promote your own longevity and allow you to enjoy your gardening for several years to come. Lawn and landscape maintenance doesn’t have to be something you dread. Get your joy back from working on your outdoor space.
How Do I Make It Easier?
Certain elements of working outdoors on your lawn are going to be innately strenuous, like bending over to work on things on the ground. But there are some ways to make it not painful. You’d be surprised at how implementing some small changes produces big results. Let’s get started.
Make Your Schedule More Efficient
Instead of only doing yard work once a week, for example, try tending to it more often. This will make your workload easier when you do your landscaping or yard work and even allow you to go outside more frequently. It’s about working smarter, not harder. Evidence suggests that gardening more often is even good for your physical and mental health.
Treat It Like A Workout
You don’t jump straight into a workout before stretching or warming up, do you? You avoid this to avoid cramps, pain, and injuries. Treat your gardening or landscaping the same way. If you know going to work in the yard is going to be tough on your body, take the appropriate time to prepare beforehand. From simple stretching exercises to light cardio before hitting the yard, warming your body up for gardening or landscaping isn’t an abstract idea.
Fix Your Form
Make sure you are mindful of your technique when you’re bending down or lifting soil or other materials. Make sure to lift with your legs and avoid any jerking motion when bending over and moving upward. Holding your objects closer to your body when bending can keep you level and reduce the risk of dropping something, making you have to pick it up. When possible, try squatting or bending your knees as opposed to bending over at the waist.
Commit To The Ground
This one seems obvious, but if you’re going to be working on or near the ground for most of your gardening or landscaping project, consider working on your hands and knees compared to maintaining a poor or bent-over posture. Make your working area more comfortable by adding pads to the ground near your workstation, protecting your feet, knees, or other parts of your body that rest on the ground for extended periods of time.
Utilize The Best Tools Available
Gardening and landscaping tools exist for a reason. Rather than carrying materials all over the yard manually, use a wheelbarrow, garden cart, or other rolling tools to ease your workload. Consider using raised beds for your garden or vertical farming methods to limit your need to bend over often. Use tools to dig and plant plants rather than relying on your hands to do all the heavy lifting.
Rest Up When You’re Done
Don’t push yourself too hard when it comes to landscaping or gardening. It’s supposed to be a relaxing and rewarding experience, not something that provides pain or strain. When you’re finished for the day or week, take a day or two to rest your bones and muscles. You don’t want to overwork yourself and potentially sideline yourself, making you miss extended time from your yard. Treat your body with the same gentleness as your yard or garden.
Don’t Be Afraid To Ask For Help
Collaborative gardening can be one of the most fun things you can share with someone. Whether it’s a neighbor, friend, or loved one, don’t be afraid to ask for help, especially if you’re taking on a rather large project. This is a great opportunity to spend quality time together with those you enjoy and work toward a productive goal.
Conclusion
Take back your joy when working in your yard. Landscaping and gardening and wonderful hobbies and rewarding projects; allow them to be rewarding and not straining. Make sure you take care of your body so you can give the proper care to your lawn and plants.
To recap:
- Make your schedule more efficient
- Warm up before tackling a project
- Improve your techniques and form
- Consider moving to the ground completely
- Use tools to help your workload
- Give yourself adequate time to rest
- Don’t hesitate to ask for help
By implementing one or more of these changes, you could see significant improvements and immediate results.
Images by Depositphotos
