Every spring, the same thing happens. The weather turns, there is a long list outside, and a productive Saturday turns into a back that will not straighten on Sunday.
It is rarely the gardening itself. It is going from a winter of relatively little to eight hours of bending, kneeling, lifting and dragging, all in one day.
Pace it like training
If you would not run ten miles having not run since October, do not do the whole yard in one go after a winter indoors. Split the list across a couple of weekends, or across shorter sessions.
Change position before you need to
The problem with weeding, planting and edging is that they hold you in one flexed position for a long time. Sustained positions are harder on you than movement is.
- Swap tasks every twenty minutes or so — weed, then prune, then move something, then back.
- Kneel on a pad rather than bending at the waist for ground-level work, and swap knees.
- Stand up and gently extend backwards a few times between tasks.
- Use long-handled tools so you are not bending for everything.
Bags, pots and the wheelbarrow
- Get the load close before lifting — mulch bags and pots held away from the body load the back far more.
- Turn your feet instead of twisting while carrying.
- Half-fill the wheelbarrow and make two trips.
- Drag or slide rather than carry where you can.
Afterwards
Some soreness after a big day outside is normal and is not damage. Keep moving gently rather than settling into a chair for the evening, a short walk usually helps more than complete rest.
If it has not started easing after a few days, is travelling down a leg, or comes with numbness or weakness, that is worth getting looked at. The back pain and sciatica page sets out what needs urgent medical attention rather than an appointment here.
Turned a productive Saturday into a sore Sunday?