• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to footer

Garden Making

Inspiring ideas and information for great home gardens

Plantskydd deer repellent 728x90
  • Design
  • Containers
  • Food
  • Gardens to visit
    • British Columbia
    • Alberta
    • Manitoba
    • Ontario
    • Quebec
    • New Brunswick
    • Nova Scotia
    • Newfoundland
    • England
    • U.S.
  • Events Calendar
    • By organizing group
    • By location of events
    • British Columbia
    • Alberta
    • Saskatchewan
    • Manitoba
    • Ontario
    • Quebec
    • New Brunswick
    • Nova Scotia
    • Prince Edward Island
    • Newfoundland & Labrador
    • Form to list your event
  • Reader photos
    • Reader images of gardens
    • Container gardening images
    • Reader images of plants in 2019
    • Reader images of plants in 2018
    • Reader images of plants in 2017
    • Reader images of plants in 2016
    • Submit photo to Garden Making
  • Shop
You are here: Home / Spring season / Stretches for gardeners really help

Stretches for gardeners really help

By Garden Making Filed Under: Spring season

Advice from the gardening-poster

After winter, it’s hard for gardeners to resist the urge to rush outdoors as soon as the weather warms. But you want to try to go slow. Do some warmups. Stretch before tackling any big jobs. Here’s some advice about stretches before you spring into action in the garden.

These how-to tips come from the professionals who end up treating gardeners who over-exert themselves in the spring: chiropractors. As someone who has benefited from chiropractic treatment, I’ve observed how the spring season can be hurtful for some — and lucrative for the practitioners who treat their aches. This year, spend your money on plants, not therapy, by doing some warmups first.

The following advice is from the Ontario Chiropractic Association Plant and Rake Without the Ache program:

Warmups

Warm up with a short walk, then gently repeat each of the following stretches five times. Hold all stretches for 15 to 20 seconds. Stop if it’s painful.

  • Thigh stretch: With one hand on the wall or a tree, bend your left knee and then reach back and hold your ankle with your right hand. Pull your heel toward your buttocks and hold for 30 seconds. Relax and repeat with the other leg. To stretch the back thigh muscles (hamstrings), place one hand on the wall or a tree, and put one foot on a chair, stump or step. Slowly bend forward from the waist until you feel the pull at the back of your thigh. Hold for 30 seconds. Relax and repeat with the other leg.
  • Back stretch: Sit on a chair and slowly bend your body forward from your hips, putting your head down and resting your hands on the floor.  Hold, then relax.
  • Shoulder rolls: With your arms hanging loosely at your sides, slowly rotate your shoulders in a circular motion forward, then backward.
  • Wrist extension: While holding one arm straight out as if you were giving a “stop” signal, use your opposite hand to hold this position. Repeat with the other hand.
  • Wrist flexion: Hold one arm out in front, palm down. Bend your fingers until they point toward the ground. Use your opposite hand to hold this position.

 Lifting tips

 Heavy lifting is no easy feat. The following back safety tips can help you when lifting on your own:

  1. Stand close to the load to be lifted
  2. Place your feet shoulder-width apart
  3. Keep your back straight
  4. Squat down to the object’s level and test the weight of the load
  5. Use the strength of your leg and arm muscles to smoothly and slowly lift the load
  6. Keep the load close to your body
  7. Pivot to turn and face the intended direction of travel. Proceed with the load
  8. Avoid twisting your body while carrying the load
  9. Bend your knees and slowly lower the load to its intended place

You can download the Plant and Rake Without the Ache brochure that has all these tips.

Published: April 2, 2013 | Updated: January 4, 2019

Sign up for Garden Making updates

We do not share emails. Your information will be used as outlined in our Privacy Policy.

Please look for our email. You must click on the link in the email to confirm. Check your inbox or spam folder.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Judith says

    April 2, 2016 at 12:31 pm

    Great exercise, tried it this morning, and will now do it every day.

    Reply
  2. Joan Demers says

    April 4, 2013 at 9:50 am

    Excellent……if only we all would do this……sigh. I am always so eager to get at the task that I don’t take time for stretching etc.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Footer

Search

Reader submissions

  • Enter draw to win a prize
  • Form to list your event
  • Submit photo to Garden Making

When you’re looking for

  • Books for gardeners
  • Containers in your garden
  • Design
  • Food to grow
  • Gardens to visit
  • Growing from seed
  • How to
  • Plant ideas
  • Tips for gardeners

Garden Making magazine

  • Buy magazine issues
  • Garden Making list of magazine issues
  • Garden Making index of magazine articles

Copyright © 2021 Inspiring Media Inc. | GARDEN MAKING is a registered trademark | About | Service | Terms of use | Privacy policy | Account