Life and Balance Centre phone (01) 207 9881 email info@lifeandbalance.ie

Here are a few tips from the Chiropractic Association of Ireland to make gardening ad D.I.Y. safe, healthy and enjoyable. If you are the weekend warrior type please take note! Sitting at a desk all week and then charging out to attack the garden all in one go may not be the best approach! First of all you may be using muscles and joints and neural pathways that have barely moved all week and are not used to extended periods of activity. Second of all trying to do everything all at once may leave you exhausted, sore and fed up. Give these handy tips a try:

1. Make sure you have all the tools and equipment you need before you start. This avoids unnecessary interruptions and hold ups.

2. Do some stretching or warming up before you begin. I know this may seem silly when you are just cutting the grass but I assure you 3 or 4 minutes spent now can save you a lot of time and discomfort later

3. Break it down. If you are tackling a big job break it down. Make sure you allow yourself time for regular breaks every half hour to hour. A break may be 2 or 3 minutes to sit down or to do some light stretches and have a drink of water.

4. Drink plenty of water. By incorporating a glass of water with each break as mentioned above this will be easily achieved. Keeping hydrated helps muscles, joints, nerves and our brains to keep functioning well.

5. Get help. For bigger jobs or those involving heavy lifting make sure you have some help. Having help can make it more fun and also safer and easier to complete the bigger tasks.

6. Actions such as digging, raking and sweeping which involve bending and twisting at the same time can place a lot of pressure on the joints muscles and discs of the lower back. If there is already some instability in these structures it can increase your risk of damage, so be extra careful with these movements.

7. Get your spine and nerve function checked by a CAI Chiropractor BEFORE beginning your next project to ensure stability, function and strength and increase your chance of completing the job safely.