Gardening Chores and Your Back

When shoveling dirt (or snow, for that matter) there is a way to minimze strain and excess muscle tension. It's all about using your weight to leverage out the stuff. Other things to remember are staying in alignment (this includes the direction your shovel is facing), and moving your whole body when dumping the dirt out of the shovel. This illustrated step-by-step guide will take you through it.

There are many ways to protect your back from the effects of weeding - from sitting aids to strategies. One of the most popular positions for extended weeding sessions is sitting on a bucket or stool. If you have knee, hip or back pain, sitting will help you avoid putting pressure onto those areas. But even sitting and weeding can take its toll on your back if you don't know how to move efficiently. Grab a bucket and I'll show you what I mean.

When lifting, the first rule is to discipline yourself to use common sense. Many times a bag of soil is just too heavy. Enlist someone to help you. When lifting is unavoidable, make sure you bend from the hips and knees, rather than the waist. For lifting and carrying heavy weights, the hips are more powerful and better equipped to deal with the load than the back. A big key to preventing injury in the garden is to break the habit of bending at the waist when you lift.

Avoid a situation that causes muscle strain by using all possible advantages when emptying a wheelbarrow. First, position yourself so that you are lifting from underneath, including using an underhanded grip. That old adage, "bend from the hips and knees, not the back" comes in especially handy here. This is because when you straighten up, you will have leverage power to use that can save your back muscles from strain and injury. Once you are straight, keep a long spine and lean your body weight in toward the wheelbarrow to tilt it and empty out the contents.

Help your mower to overcome its inertia and get it moving across your lawn. You can use your body weight as leverage. But first, recognize the connection between your hands and arms, and the mower. By estabishing a neutral wrist posture as well as an elbow angle you can comfortably maintain, you will set yourself up to be able to lean your weight in. This is what puts your mower into action. As always, maintain a long spine so that you can access your powerful hip and leg muscles and save your back from strain.