Spring is here! Just the other day, I was able to see my first lily bud sprouting in a neighbor's garden. This was a prompt to me that I need to start my own garden preparations. An important reminder for myself and everybody else entering the "garden season" is that there are an increased number of injuries when starting up again for the season. The heavy lifting of fresh sand or mulch, twisting to pick 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 biomechanics (walking, bending, lifting, kneeling) properly assessed, please come see me. Or, stop by PISE for a FREE weekly core-strengthening class every Wednesdays @ Lunch. (April 24- June 19).
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