Some advice on getting out in the garden without too many mishaps

Winter hibernation is coming to an end and many will be starting to think about Spring gardening jobs. It’s great to get outdoors and blow the cobwebs away but take care of your back with our great advice.

• Don’t wear clothes that are tight or could constrict your movement.

• Gardening is like any other exercise; you need to warm up first. Don’t go straight into the heavy work; start off with lighter jobs as this will lessen the chance of muscle strain.

• Vary your activity by spending no more than 20-30 minutes on any one thing and make sure you take regular breaks.

• Get as close as possible to the things you are pruning and avoid overstretching to reach the area you are dealing with.
• Invest in some long handled secateurs to reach plants and bushes that are beyond normal reach.

• If you are planning a trip to the local garden centre store to buy heavy items such as compost, buy smaller bags rather than one big bag as they are easier and safer to carry. Better still, have it delivered direct to your home.
• Don’t lift with your arms straight out, keep the elbows bent and to your side to minimise the stress on your back.
• If having items delivered, have them unloaded as close to where you need them as possible; this will save the effort of moving them again.
• A specialist garden trolley might be worth investing in to move these sorts of materials around, especially if you have lots of patio pots to move around as well.