Have you noticed………….

Spring is in the air and our thoughts are turning to the garden.  What, I hear you cry has that got to do with massage?  Well nothing, but my thoughts this month were turned to the jobs that will need doing.  Do you ever think about your posture whilst you are mowing the lawn?

How many of you do a whole day of weeding and then end up with backache because you have been bending too much?

If the answer to any of these questions is yes, it is time to think about your posture.  When mowing the grass ask yourself these questions:

Is the mower handle at a sensible height for you?

Do you have to bend excessively to push the mower?

Can you handle the mower on your own?

As for weeding

Can you get down on your hands and knees?  If yes, do so but if you don’t want to invest in a kneeler mat, a carrier bag with a folded newspaper inside does the job just as well, and costs you nothing.

If you cannot get down on your hands and knees, think about investing in long handled instruments or invest in one of those kneeler stools.

Better still get someone else to do it for you!!

All of these activities put strain on our back muscles and if you don’t think about your posture it  could cause problems later on. 

Lifting a heavy mower out of the shed on your own may be practical but could also be causing strain to the lumbar region of your back, particularly if it is a little too heavy for you.

 If the handle to the mower is at the wrong height you will be bending at an unnatural angle, therefore putting more strain on your back.

Take the time to think about the jobs in the garden and whether you could improve the way you do them to protect your back.

Just one last thought, if you come in from the garden aching from a hard days work digging or building, give yourself a long soak in the bath, it will help relax your muscles which in turn helps to relieve the aches and pains that will be along a couple of days later, particularly if you have not managed to do much exercise over the winter period.

Get out there! Enjoy your gardens, remember to take it in bitesize chunks with regular breaks and I hope that there aren’t too many problems with backs that come to my door.  I just hope the sun stays for a bit longer than it did last year!!

Kaye