Spring is here! Yes…really! I was able to see my first lily bud sprouting in a neighbour’s garden. This was a prompt to me that I need to start my own garden preparations. An important reminder for myself and everyone else entering the “garden season” is that there is an increased number of injuries when starting up again for the season. The heavy lifting of fresh sand or mulch, twisting to pick up those far reaching weeds, and hunching for extended periods of time can all contribute to the straining and spraining of our tissues.
Luckily, a few simple “pre-season” exercises can help prevent weeks of aches and pains. Most importantly, increasing core stability will improve our abilities to maintain bending postures for prolonged periods of time. Recent research recommends that building the endurance of core abdominal and lower back muscles is more important than actually “strengthening” the low back. Keeping correct posture with strong abdominal muscles will prevent injury down the road and enable you to garden at all ages.
If you would like some more information on these exercises and to have your own personal bio mechanics (walking, bending, lifting, kneeling) properly assessed, please feel free to make an appointment with me. You can book online at Fit or call the office and our staff will be happy to help.