Gardening is a practice with many benefits. When you get out there into your own little patch of green and pleasant land, you’ll stand a great chance of improving your mental and physical well-being. You’ll be able to grow your own fruits and vegetables, and craft an outdoor space that you’ll enjoy living in.
Unfortunately, gardening is an activity that can inflict all manner of mishaps and injuries, and so it’s worth taking a few precautions to protect yourself, especially if you’re a beginner. Let’s run through a few of the more effective.
Good Posture
In the long run, it’s kneeling down and bending over that stands the biggest chance of inflicting pain. This applies especially to older gardeners, but if even if you’re young and relatively fit, you might find that you run into problems.
Raised beds and pads for repeated kneeling are a great way to enjoy gardening without the strain of getting up and down. You might also practice stretching to keep yourself in good shape – as you would for any other kind of workout.
Use Safety Equipment
Gardening can also inflict sudden injury, especially if you’re operating potentially dangerous tools like shears, secateurs and hedge trimmers. The plants you’re working with can also be potentially dangerous – if you’re clearing out a lot of plant waste, then you’d be amazed at how many scratches appear on your arms by the time you’re done. A rugged pair of gloves will help you to avoid this problem.
Store things properly
You might find that you’re more likely to be injured while you’re dragging your tools out of the shed than you are when you’re actually using them. Getting the storage organised will help you to avoid this problem.
Take Regular Breaks
When you’re gardening (or doing any kind of physical activity), it’s worth stopping occasionally to check in with yourself. If you find that you can barely move the following day, it’s probably a sign that you’ve pushed yourself too far. During your breaks, make sure that you take the time to adequately hydrate yourself – especially if you’re out in the sun. Speaking of which…
Wear Sunblock
It’s easy to forget that you’re under the sun while you’re gardening. But just because you aren’t sunbathing doesn’t mean that you can’t catch harmful rays. Pay particular attention to the back of your neck, which might be exposed from all of the hunching and leaning you’ll be doing.
