Tips To Save Your Back As we get older, many of us have back-related problems. Here are some tips for keeping your back in good working order. Note: This is not intended as medical advice. Always consult a physician before attempting any physical activity. Try do a few stretches before hand. Gardening is exercise. You would warm up before any other form of exercise. Caution - Don't do anything that causes pain. Consult your doctor. Vary your tasks each time. Do a little bending work, pruning work, digging. etc. and don't overdo any particular activity. Watch your posture - bend your knees and keep your back straight. Hunching over a heavy load is a recipe for disaster. Get down to the work but if you have trouble moving around once you're on your knees plan ahead. Put all the tools you'll need in a bucket or container and use a kneeling pad or kneeler with arms to work from. The arms are good for leverage if you have trouble getting up afterwards. Plus many of them turn over to become a bench for a rest afterwards or to vary your position. If shoveling try to keep your feet wide enough apart to give your body plenty of support. Don't twist your body if you can help it, try repositioning your feet. Use long handled tools that allow you to work sitting or standing. A weeder on a stick can save your back from hours of being bent over in the garden. Try a reaching tool for picking up litter. This saves your back the constant up and down movement when cleaning the garden. A garbage pail on wheels can be rolled around with you to save steps or try a hand-held bag on a pole to prevent bending. Use raised beds or pots so that you never have to get down on your knees. Ask for help. If you have an able bodied friend, young person in the family or someone who would normally give you a gift on your birthday or holiday, ask for a gift of work in the garden. Mixing compost, moving stones, tilling, can all be wonderful gifts that save your back. Consider hiring a local student to do the heavy work that strains your back. Lots of young people can't find summer jobs and are more than willing to spend a few hours a week working for you. You might just turn them into a gardener for life.

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