When it comes to yard work and gardening, many people experience low back pain. This can occur while lifting something heavy or improperly. Low back pain can also occur from repetitive movements or being in one position over an extended period of time. The pain can come on suddenly or can occur days later. This article will help you learn how to avoid low back pain while enjoying yard work and gardening.
It is very important to utilize proper techniques to avoid low back injury and pain. Equally important is making sure the lower back is healthy and properly prepared to perform yard work, especially if it has been weeks or months since your last time working out in the yard or garden.
Understanding the Causes of Low Back Pain
The main causes of lower back pain are lifting heavy objects, lifting improperly, repetitive movements, and staying in a position you are not used to being in for prolonged periods of time.
When lifting heavy objects it is important to use good posture and form. Many times the heavy object alone can be enough to cause injury and pain. So, when possible, take more trips with less weight. However, poor posture and bad form increases the risk of injury with any weight that you lift, even lighter weights.
It is important for your overall health and ability to enjoy yard work that you use good posture, form, and have spent time on the flexibility and strength of your lower back prior to doing yard work.
Importance of Pre-Work Warm-Up
We can see from professional athletes that they take months preparing their bodies for specific activities or sports. In addition, they get to the field or training room hours before a game to get their bodies warmed up and ready to perform the activities and movements that their sport requires. If that is not enough, they take time after the game to start the recovery process. Why? They do this to reduce injury and increase recovery, health, and performance.
The same is true for our lower back and yard work, to some extent. We want to train our lower back to be prepared for our jobs and at home activities, like gardening, in a way that helps us reduce injury and improve performance. This will help us stay in the yard longer, lowering our risk of injury, and helping our recovery time.
Here are some great videos on how to properly perform yard work from your lower backs perspective:
VIDEOS
Equally important is having a stretch routine you can perform for a few days after yard work to reduce negative tension on your muscles and spine and restore length and flexibility back to muscles to receive more health benefits from your time doing yard work.
Here is a great post exercise video for after any type of activity, including yard work and gardening:
Proper Lifting Techniques
We all know that we should lift with our legs, but there are a few other things you can do to lift safely. It is important to engage your core by pulling your belly button into your spine and make sure your shoulders are over your hips as you work in the yard. Exhale while lifting, do not hold your breath. Another valuable tip is that when you move you should always move your feet first and make sure your toes to your nose are all moving in the same direction at all times. So, let your feet initiate and guide your movement.
It is also important not to get lazy if you have been working in the yard for a while or you are rushing to get a job done faster. It is in these moments that we can use bad form and make ourselves vulnerable to low back injury and pain while doing yard work or gardening.
When you are ready to lift an object, use your legs to squat down, drop your bottom, keep your head and shoulders lifted, keep the weight you are lifting close to your body, don’t be afraid to get dirty. Engage your core, legs and body. Think of whatever you are lifting as heavier than what it is so that you are prepared instead of surprised when you start lifting the weight or in case it gets hung up on something. Exhale as you begin to lift the object.
When lifting an object, the safest way to lift anything is by using your head first. Try to plan your yard work so that you only have to lift things once. Carry less weight and take more trips. Work in smaller sections, so you don’t have to do the same movements over and over again. Lift with a partner. Work from a table standing when you can, instead of leaning over on the ground. Basically take a moment to think about how to reduce any negative stress from yard work on your body.
Ergonomic Tools and Equipment
So many people say that having the right tool for the right job makes all the difference. When you have the right tools and equipment it saves you from finding yourself in awkward postures, like leaning over, for long periods of time which can lead to low back injury and pain. It saves you from having to use excessive force or muscle to get the job done. When trying to use light duty tools to get heavy duty jobs done you can injure hands, wrists or shoulders too.
Using the proper equipment can allow you to use body weight and leverage. By having tools that are designed for specific jobs they do a better job at protecting you, while at the same time being more efficient.
Find ergonomic tools with long handles to reduce strain on the back. Use knee pads or a kneeling pad to protect the knees while gardening.
Posture and Body Mechanics
Whenever possible, do your best to do as much work as you can standing up straight with your core engaged. This can work for mowing, raking, and trimming.
When working on the ground you want to get as close to the ground as you can and keep your back flat to avoid rounding your back or slouching.
You can try working on your knees and using a little bench to support your chest so your low back does not have to do all the work holding you up. You can also alternate the right and left lunge position with one leg forward and one leg back with your knee on the ground. In this position your work area can be right below your hips and you can even rest your upper body on your front leg.
Find as many safe positions as you can to alternate and distribute the yard work throughout the different muscles of your body while maintaining good posture, form, and core engagement.
Taking Breaks and Pacing
When you analyze your yard work or gardening project, be realistic about the time required to accomplish the task. Break it up into multiple days. Distribute and spread out the more vigorous activities. Make sure you are drinking water and taking multiple breaks to stretch and unwind your muscles.
Be honest about your ability to safely perform physical activity. Especially if it has been weeks or months since you were active doing yard work. Always start by doing less, no matter how good you are feeling because sometimes you don’t know how you feel until the next morning or days later. You can always add a little more work as you move into yard work and gardening season, but you can’t undo an injury once you over do it.
Incorporating Core-Strengthening
It would be best if you have already started to move, stretch, and strengthen the muscles you will need for yard work weeks before. This will prepare your muscles for working in the yard and protect you from injury. Many injuries occur because people go from very little activity to hours of yard work in one day.
Also, ideally it would really benefit you to have a warm up routine to get your body ready for yard work and a post yard work routine to eliminate as much tension on the muscles as possible to reduce the negative impact of yard work on your body and maximize the health benefits.
A great yard work routine would include first warming up the spine. Second, warm up the body by taking a little walk. Third, start slowly, by dynamically stretching the muscles you will be using during yard work. Fourth, warm up and start engaging your core muscle, hips, legs, and shoulders by using body weight exercises.
Full body exercises that are good for strengthening the core muscles are planks and bird-dogs. These are two great exercises to provide better support for the lower back.
These exercises can be performed anytime or any place, so you don’t have to worry about equipment. As with any exercise program, start slow in a modified version if necessary. As you spend more time doing these exercises and get stronger you can progress into more advanced versions and longer periods of time. Consistency is the key to receiving the best health benefits from any exercise routine.
Seeking Professional Help
It would be wise to consult with a qualified chiropractor in Linwood or Northfield, NJ, if you experience persistent or severe low back pain. However there are other reasons why a chiropractor could help, including how you can strengthen your back.
We can help design proper stretching and strengthening routines to protect your low back while doing yard work and gardening. We can even help you determine the best positions for your low back while gardening.
Chiropractic care is great for improving the health of your spine which benefits people with arthritis, disc injuries, and muscle problems. Having a healthy spine will improve your ability to perform any and every activity.
Conclusion
The goal of this information is to help you enjoy and receive the health benefits of yard work and gardening. By learning the importance of having a healthy spine, preparing your body through stretching and strengthening your muscles weeks before you are ready to perform yard work, by having a good warm-up routine, and a good post workout routine you will be greatly reducing your risk of injury. You will also be increasing your time enjoying the yard or garden. In addition, you will be decreasing your recovery time and soreness, so you will be better ready to garden the next day.
Implementing these tips will provide you the best chance for a pain-free yard work and gardening experience.
If you have any questions you can call Fresh Start Chiropractic at 609.926.8900.
If you need help with anything, you can always leave a comment in the section below or email me at drjohnfresh@gmail.com.
My book, The Health Equation has tons of great information about getting and staying healthy, active, and young.
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