Gardening as you age: Tips for smarter, easier and more comfortable gardening

Did you know there are more than 600 muscles in your body?

If you’ve been gardening or cleaning up your yard, you might have become acquainted with a few of them!

Make no mistake: Gardening and yard work are a moderate workout. Weekend gardeners might feel a few aches and pains now and then. And if you don’t exercise regularly, gardening is downright strenuous.

On top of that, as we get older, gardening sometimes becomes more difficult.

But that doesn’t mean you have to hang up your pruning shears just because you’re getting older and might be having mobility or other issues.

You can still enjoy gardening — while, at the same time, acknowledging “I’m not up to all that.” That’s OK.

“Easy,” “easier” and “safe” are the watchwords to keep in mind as you adjust to new ways of gardening that will keep this activity the physical and emotional benefit it’s meant to be.

Here are a few tips that can help you garden safely for many years to come.

Your body: Weed out the strain

In order to enjoy gardening — and life — you have to take care of yourself.

According to Cleveland Clinic, gardening involves many different movements. Your muscles and joints can become stressed from bending over, squatting and crouching, resulting in lower back pain and more.

If you’ve had recent health changes, consult your doctor about any physical limitations before starting to garden.

To minimize your risk of injury, it’s a good idea to warm up before and after your gardening stints by stretching. Slow, easy bends can warm up muscles and prevent strains. Add a few shoulder shrugs and neck stretches. Make sure you’re well-hydrated before you head outside. And keep your cellphone on you.

• Wear gloves and sunglasses or safety goggles, along with a hat. A long-sleeve shirt and pants will protect you from the sun, as well as ticks and scratchy plants. Remember sunscreen and bug repellent.

• Avoid sudden reaching or twisting motions. Slow, steady and safe are great ways to approach gardening — or any task.

• Keep objects close to your body when lifting.

• If you’re able, bend your knees and squat or kneel to get to ground level rather than bend over.

• If you can kneel, try kneeling with one knee on the ground and the other up. Switch knees as needed to reduce pressure on your back and both knees. Or, try cushioned kneelers with handles to minimize pressure on your knees while making it easier to stand up.

• Move from one activity to another, and adjust your posture frequently to reduce the risk of repetitive-motion injuries.

• If you’re unable to squat or kneel, avoid excessive bending over in order to minimize or prevent back strain. Instead:

• Use a gardening stool or lawn chair to sit while you garden. That’ll lessen the load on your weight-bearing joints compared to kneeling or standing. Also, with a stool, your knees don’t have to bend quite as much as they do when you’re in a squatting position, which isn’t the best thing for your knees. Depending on the task, you might have to get up and move your stool or chair frequently — but it’s worth the hassle to save your back and knees.

• Raise your garden (more on that under "Your garden")

• Protect your muscles and joints by breaking up gardening into manageable chunks of time. It doesn’t all have to get done at once.

• Take a break instead of pushing yourself to plant those last three impatiens. Take several, in fact. You might not feel like you need them, but once you sit in the shade or inside and enjoy a cool glass of water, you might realize you’ve been exerting yourself more than you thought.

• Avoid working outside in the hottest times of the day — roughly from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Your garden: Plant a little happiness

It might be hard to let go of some aspects of gardening — but sometimes, it’s necessary to keep it safe for you.

• Do what you enjoy most and scale back on other things:

• Your garden doesn’t have to be as big as it used to be.

• You can cut back on particular plants — especially if they’re high-maintenance and aren’t your absolute favorites.

• Recruit someone to help you with the heavier jobs.

• Rely more on mulching than on weeding. (Mulch is heavy. This would be a good job for a strong young person.) Your garden will still look just as nice as when you uprooted every dandelion yourself. In addition to suppressing weeds, mulch also helps your garden retain moisture.

• For less strain on your lower back, raise the level of your garden:

• Build or buy raised garden beds. Situate them so there’s enough room on all sides so you can reach the center. Place benches or chairs on the sides of the raised gardens so you can sit and rest.

• If there’s a wall or fence nearby, install window boxes.

• Vertical gardening is a fairly new trend. It naturally raises your garden in an aesthetically pleasing way for a smaller space. You can build them or buy them (varieties and prices vary).

• Container gardening is another gardening trend. It’s just like it sounds, but for the sake of sore backs everywhere, tall pots work best. Or, make sure the containers are made of lightweight material, and placed on stands or casters so they can be moved toward a chair, bench or other spot that’s easy for you to garden from.

Your tools: Trowel and error — picking the right tools

• Gardening tools with longer handles can make it easier for you to reach your plants in the soil or in containers.

• However, some health conditions, such as arthritis, make holding tools painful or even impossible.

• Look into foam grips (called “foam tubing” online) designed to provide a comfortable grip around toothbrushes, silverware, etc., and maybe smaller-handled gardening tools.

• Visit arthritis.org or other reputable websites for suggestions on the best gardening tools for those who have arthritis.

• Use a wheeled garden caddy to transport your plants and tools from one spot to another.

• Consider a lightweight coiled hose with an extended nozzle/watering wand attached at one end.

It’s been said, “Gardening is cheaper than therapy and you get tomatoes.”

If you love gardening more than your body does, try a few of these tips to help make it easier.

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