Try always having “soft” knees when you bend, never lock them. Best bit of advice I got was only to do one lower job for 20mins, then change to upper or viceversa i do pilates for core strength
Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.” A A Milne
I started Pilates about 9 months ago and it's amazing at releasing tension in your back. I find my lower back is often stiff (probably from poor posture and sitting too much at work), but Pilates stretches it and frees it up. It's a lot like a back massage in that respect, but at a fraction of the cost and has the added benefit of building your core muscles (which are used in EVERYTHING!). Now my core is slowly getting stronger I can feel my posture is starting to improve, which should help to prevent issues before they start.
I would recommend Pilates to all ages, and both males and females (I'm a man in my 30s), but most of all to 1) anyone with back issues and 2) anyone who's 65+. I'm convinced it will help you stay active for longer, giving you a better quality of life into your later years when some people slow down and seize up. My Pilates teacher teaches a man who's in his 90s!
Have in the past had a trapped nerve in my neck and a bad episode of back pain that made all movement very difficult, verging on impossible. Both areas are still dodgy, but I have found ways to manage them and have had no real problems for a number of years. These things have helped me, though won't all suit everyone.
Pay attention to your body and know the danger positions. Stop when you feel the warning signs.
I think that pain is there for a reason, and try not to use painkillers if at all possible, Even when it hurts like mad, you must keep moving and it will get better in a while. 'Resting' in one position just makes things worse.
If something you are trying to do is very hard, you are probably doing it the wrong way. I have found this applies to all sorts of jobs, though of course some things are just really hard to do.
Stooping/ bending is bad, use your legs and keep your back straight when lifting and raking and digging.
Pace yourself, start with something gentle to warm up , vary the activity and the muscle groups used. It helps if you can get into a rhythm too. Don't make it a competition, even with yourself.
Like BL I kneel to weed, but only work on the area immediately ahead, then move my mat. Twisting to the side or over-reaching when kneeling strains the sacro-ileac joints that Lizzie mentions and can cause inflammation and sciatica-like pain.
I also kneel to dig, when I am just forking out weeds in previously worked soil. I once read somewhere that spade handles are relatively short because the miners worked on their knees in the confined space underground. It is easier to pick out the weeds too.
It's better to take 2 wheelbarrows half-full than struggle with one that's too heavy. The walking is good for you and you'll get more done in the end and be less tired. The same applies for digging (small lumps) and lifting/carrying, if it is possible to split the load. I carry 2 bags of sheep feed out to the field, one in each hand, much more easily than the same amount in one bag.
I've thrown out the big pillows and use a small cylindrical pillow filled with tiny hard polystyrene beads. It supports my neck and head at just the angle I want and stays fairly still all night. I don't wake up with a sore neck or with a headache any more since using it.
About 20 years ago I changed from using full size fork and spade to using a border fork and spade. It made a big difference, much less strain on the back. Like others have said, reducing the load in different ways will help.
Based in Sussex, I garden to encourage as many birds to my garden as possible.
Sorry to be the bringer of bad tidings, but yes gardening is bad for your back. The good news is there is a cure. As we all get older and things wear out we have to revert to childhood. In the case of gardening it is a case of getting down on your hands and knees to do jobs like weeding. The next good thing you can do is adopt a "no dig" policy. Basically this means adding tons of compost to the topsoil. If your back is really bad employ a gardener to do the heavy jobs, It will cost you, but it's a better investment than painkillers. Good luck. Ian.
I've got the kneeler shown in madpenguin's post. Unfortunately it doesn't work for me. The pad is too high off the ground and I find myself overbalancing forward on it. I just use the simple pad, made of the same material as on that kneeler, but it's at ground level. I do sometimes use the kneeler handle to help me get up. As I have had surgery on both knees and a dodgy hip caused by trying to save the knees, get back up can be 'entertaining'.
When I was younger I found effective relief from occasional back pain at the hands of a chiropractor. Then I spent the last 18 years of my working life on a hospital ward. Now I'm retired, I have a constant mild sacro-iliac pain. When it flared up recently, I went to a chiropractor, but his methods were very unlike what I was used to, I didn't like him and I stopped after three sessions. I took paracetamol and it gradually eased off over about three weeks.
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i do pilates for core strength
A A Milne
I would recommend Pilates to all ages, and both males and females (I'm a man in my 30s), but most of all to 1) anyone with back issues and 2) anyone who's 65+. I'm convinced it will help you stay active for longer, giving you a better quality of life into your later years when some people slow down and seize up. My Pilates teacher teaches a man who's in his 90s!
Pay attention to your body and know the danger positions. Stop when you feel the warning signs.
I think that pain is there for a reason, and try not to use painkillers if at all possible, Even when it hurts like mad, you must keep moving and it will get better in a while. 'Resting' in one position just makes things worse.
If something you are trying to do is very hard, you are probably doing it the wrong way. I have found this applies to all sorts of jobs, though of course some things are just really hard to do.
Stooping/ bending is bad, use your legs and keep your back straight when lifting and raking and digging.
Pace yourself, start with something gentle to warm up , vary the activity and the muscle groups used. It helps if you can get into a rhythm too. Don't make it a competition, even with yourself.
Like BL I kneel to weed, but only work on the area immediately ahead, then move my mat. Twisting to the side or over-reaching when kneeling strains the sacro-ileac joints that Lizzie mentions and can cause inflammation and sciatica-like pain.
I also kneel to dig, when I am just forking out weeds in previously worked soil. I once read somewhere that spade handles are relatively short because the miners worked on their knees in the confined space underground. It is easier to pick out the weeds too.
It's better to take 2 wheelbarrows half-full than struggle with one that's too heavy. The walking is good for you and you'll get more done in the end and be less tired. The same applies for digging (small lumps) and lifting/carrying, if it is possible to split the load. I carry 2 bags of sheep feed out to the field, one in each hand, much more easily than the same amount in one bag.
I've thrown out the big pillows and use a small cylindrical pillow filled with tiny hard polystyrene beads. It supports my neck and head at just the angle I want and stays fairly still all night. I don't wake up with a sore neck or with a headache any more since using it.