Growing Pains With Proper Conditioning And Stretching, Gardening Won’T Leave You With Back Pain, Sore Muscles And Aching Joints

“Gardening is a matter of your enthusiasm holding up until your back gets used to it.” — Anonymous

Through the ages, gardening has been romanticized as a “soul-enriching,” “body-renewing,” “spiritually invigorating” experience. From Monet’s garden in France, to Manito Park in Spokane, poets and artists have found plenty of inspiration among the irises.

Hobbyists such as Linda Varela of Spokane’s South Hill exude a passion for gardening. Varela, 48, spends 25 to 30 hours a week tending her large vegetable and perennial gardens. The daughter of a nurseryman, Varela says, “Gardening is in my blood. I’ll go out with a cup of coffee in the morning and, two hours later, I’m still out there in my nightgown.”

Yet such inspiration comes with a price. For gardening enthusiasts in their 30s and beyond, digging in the dirt by day means ibuprofen and ice packs at night. Knees, necks and backs are sacrificed for the pleasures of wielding a hoe.

“At the end of the day, my whole body hurts,” admits Varela. “My back is killing me.”

It doesn’t have to be that way, says Barbara Pearlman, a professional fitness trainer and weekend gardener in New York. Pearlman is so familiar with the perils of tending a garden — back pain, sore muscles and aching joints — she has written a book on the subject, “Gardener’s Fitness: Weeding Out the Aches & Pains” (Taylor Publishing). “There’s no worming out of it,” she writes. “Supremely satisfying, utterly absorbing and thoroughly addictive, gardening can also be tough and tiring, particularly if your garden is in better shape than you are.”

Gardening is a contact sport. It is strenuous and fatiguing. It does not, however, need to wreak havoc on your body, notes Pearlman. With proper conditioning for the chores you need to accomplish, and by learning how to move carefully, you can look forward to gardening well into the “goldenrod” years, she writes.

“Don’t kvetch. Stop and stretch!”

Gardening requires strength, stamina and flexibility. Before jumping in, Pearlman suggests limbering up with some gentle stretches (see accompanying box on D7), giving specific attention to the “body zones” that receive the greatest workout in the garden: arms, knees, hands and back.

Varela prefers the runner’s stretch. With hands against the wall, she extends one leg back at a time, with the heel on the ground, stretching the calf muscles. To warm up her back, Varela lies on the floor, gently cradling her knees and stretching arms and legs.

Professional gardeners know the importance of warming up muscles before tackling strenuous gardening chores. Steven Gustafson, horticulture manager at Manito Park, says to approach gardening like any other physical activity. “Stretch before you start,” he says. “Start slowly and build up your time in the garden. Don’t try to start with a 12-hour day.”

Choose tools for ease, efficiency

In the same way an athlete needs proper equipment, a gardener’s tote bag should include a few necessities to ease body aches.

At Manito Park, Gustafson is responsible for supervising nearly two dozen full-time and seasonal workers, as well as overseeing maintenance of the park’s four gardens. He requires that his gardeners always use gloves and kneepads.

When wielding power equipment, they must wear long pants and solid shoes. In summer, Gustafson recommends sunscreen, long sleeves and a broad-brimmed hat to minimize the sun’s exposure.

Gustafson’s favorite tool is the hula hoe, also called the action hoe. At the end of its long arm is a square-shaped handle that resembles a stirrup. “This allows for push and pull action - versus whacking - which is a less tiring motion,” he says. “Laziness breeds efficiency.”

And efficiency reduces the chance of injury. Pearlman prefers long-handled tools to reduce knee stress. Rakes, spades and hoes can be purchased in lengths up to 6 feet. Tools should have comfortable grips and be in good working order. They also should fit a gardener’s size and weight.

“High quality tools may cost more,” Pearlman writes, “but they are better balanced and easier to wield, and therefore less tiring.”

Preventing pain

Among gardeners, “back pain is the agony that binds us,” Pearlman states. Her solution: Build strong abdominal muscles through exercises such as crunches.

“When stomach muscles are strong, the back will be better able to manage the demands placed on it, whether you are lifting a watering can or hauling bags of debris,” she writes.

Gustafson calls back pain an “occupational hazard,” especially for the handful of gardeners each year who contribute a total of 400 hours to plant Manito’s formal Duncan Gardens.

Formerly a professor of horticulture at the University of Tennessee, Gustafson has witnessed plenty of back injuries due to improper lifting, excessive squatting and general wear and tear. One of his recommendations is to use a kneeling stool. Another is to consider raised flower beds, which don’t require bending over to cultivate, making them especially popular with elderly and those in wheelchairs.

Knee stress is another common gardener’s complaint, the consequence of excessive squatting and stooping. Avoid sitting on your heels, says Pearlman, since it puts too much stress on the knees. She describes the proper squat: “Keep back relatively straight, both knees bent, buttocks lowered close to the ground; heels should remain flat, not lifted.”

Garden sense

Varela has learned over the years to modify her gardening habits in order to ease aches and pains. Instead of buying a 50-pound bag of topsoil, she’ll buy two 25-pound bags that she can lift. She’s also learning to quit before her whole body hurts. “As I get older, I have to listen to my body, though far too often I ignore what it is telling me,” Varela says.

Becoming aware of a body’s pain signals and heeding them is a crucial step toward avoiding injury, advises Pearlman. “Instead of holding out until you can’t straighten out, garden sense says stop for a stretch.”

Take frequent breaks, jog in place, and shake out arms, fingers and hands. Pace yourself, by dividing gardening tasks into shorter segments. When carrying heavy objects, stop and rest or switch hands to avoid undue stress on one side of the body.

Water, too, is critical. Like plants, bodies need water for energy. Even if you don’t feel thirsty, drink water frequently to minimize the risk of heat exhaustion and prevent muscles from cramping.

Finally, allow yourself to just sit in your garden. During the peak season of gardening, when there is so much to do, the tendency is to overdo, especially for weekend gardeners.

“Gardening should nourish, not drain you,” writes Pearlman. “A short time out allows you the welldeserved opportunity to rest, reflect and enjoy the fruits (and flowers) of your labor. Gardening is a work in progress.”

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TIPS

Gardener’s fitness

Before, during and after gardening, try these easy stretches.

Hamstring stretch: Lie on your back with one knee bent. Bring the opposite leg straight toward your chest and hold it with both hands behind the thigh.

Apple-picking stretch: Stand with feet shoulder width apart and extend arms toward the sky. Slowly stretch with alternating arms higher and higher, as if picking apples off a tree.

Cat stretch: Begin on all fours, knees hip distance apart. With head and chin resting toward chest, pull in your stomach and round your back. Then, lower your buttocks until they rest on or near your heels. Keep your head low and stretch arms out front.