Released: April 26, 2004

Gardening as Exercise: Reduce Risk of Injury

SALINA, Kan. – Gardening is exercise that leads to things of value, ranging from homegrown tomatoes to curb appeal.

“No matter how beneficial it would be, I just can’t get motivated to ride a bike that’s going nowhere. Besides, gardening at any level is a lot better exercise than most of us realize,” said Chip Miller, horticulturist with Kansas State University Research and Extension.

With any form of exercise, there is risk of injury, Miller added. Gardening is no exception.

Even so, research has found gardening can strengthen limbs, help the cardiovascular system, and develop both flexibility and hand-eye coordination, he said. It’s adaptable to a range of physical disabilities. It even relieves tension while providing sunshine and fresh air.

Miller offered these tips to help gardeners benefit from the exercise, but reduce the risk:

* Learn to recognize your tolerance for exertion, and don’t exceed your limits. Vary activities, pace yourself and/or take rest times.

* If you get muscle aches and pains, rest and apply a cold pack at intervals through the day. Save any heat treatments for a few days later and combine it with stretching exercises.

* Don’t ever get so involved that you forget heat-related illness can kill. The younger or older you are, the more vulnerable you are. For everyone, however, the risk goes up in tandem with the air temperature and dew point. So, monitor the resulting heat index – the perceived heat your body will be reacting to. (Air temperatures of 82 F, combined with a dew point of 82, equals a heat index of 95 F.)

* Drink water or juice, but not beer or caffeinated beverages. Alcohol and caffeine dehydrate.

* Don’t depend on thirst to tell you when to drink. Research shows that it won’t. Drink a pint of water before going outside and another 8 ounces after each 30 minutes of gardening.

* Use sunscreen to prevent burns and to head off the potential for skin cancer.

* Wear a brimmed hat and sunglasses.

“Studies at K-State have found wearing that kind of head gear greatly reduces your risk for developing macular degeneration of the eyes,” Miller said.

* Learn to lift properly. Keep your back straight and knees partially bent. Use leg and buttocks (NOT arm and back) muscles to provide the strength.

* Make use of such labor-saving devices as garden carts and wheelbarrows to move heavy objects.

“Humans aren’t designed to carry half-grown balled-and-burlapped trees,” the horticulturist said.

* As you buy tools, select ones that are sized to fit you. A too-long or too-short handle, for example, can quickly cause muscle strain and fatigue.

“A too-large power tool can actually be exhausting to use. Then it can become a dangerous weapon when exhaustion makes you lose control,” Miller warned.

* Keep power tools away from those too young or too unskilled to handle them safely.

* If tools come with an owner’s manual, read it first. Then follow its directions for operating the equipment. Also follow its recommendations for wearing such safety equipment as goggles, ear plugs, leather shoes and/or chemical-proof gloves.

* Make glove protection an absolute necessity when gardening. Cotton gloves can help reduce the number of scratches you get, plus prevent the blisters that often result from repetitive work. Leather gauntlets provide even greater protection if you’re working with thorny plants. Any gloves cut the odds for cuts, abrasions, torn fingernails and infections.

* Learn to recognize and avoid poison ivy. Do the same with stinging insects – many of which will be benefitting your garden.

* Never handle wildlife – alive or dead. If wild animals feel cornered, most will fight as hard as they can. Most also are a haven for microorganisms, ticks, lice and a host of other unhealthy-for-humans “critters.” If you ever have to remove dead wildlife from your yard, use a shovel.

* Make it a practice to wash your hands, arms and face thoroughly when you return indoors. Use lots and lots of soap and cool water if you suspect you may have been in contact with poison ivy. During tick season, also take a shower within hours of coming indoors, so you can wash ticks away before they have time to get imbedded.

“Then take time occasionally just to walk through your garden and enjoy the fruits – the value – of your labors. Some people say they feel an almost spiritual renewal from being outdoors in beautiful surroundings,” Miller said. “Gardening is definitely not a form of exercise that goes nowhere.”

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K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K-State campus, Manhattan.

Story by:
Kathleen Ward
kward@oznet.ksu.edu
K-State Research& Extension News