HOW TO AVOID ACHES & PAINS WITH GARDENING & DIY

It's been 6 years since I made the decision that I was too busy to look after a garden and moved into a flat without one.  As of last weekend that all changed and I now have a garden with a lawn!  Very exciting!  

However as anyone who has every had a garden will know, it doesn't come without a lot of hard work.  In this situation the garden had been paved to take away the need for mowing.  So we had to pull up the paving stones, dig, dig and dig, weed and weed and then level with garden.  

All this took a long old time.  For me it was the ceaseless digging that I wasn't too happy with and the cheeky weeds that thought it was ok to come back when I had only just sent them packing!  

Several busy afternoons of digging over a few months and finally we were ready.  Last weekend we filled the flowerbeds with compost and put the plants in.  (Some a little pot bound as I bought them 2 years ago in anticipation!)  Then the lawn went down.  Oh my goodness, how much of a transformation :-)  After a few negotiations - curves vs straight edges - we were there (curves won :-) and it's all been worth it.

Now I know I am mid-40s so a few aches and pains are probably to be expected however I'm also a physio so it shouldn't really happen to me should it!!  What can I say, except that this experience led me to put together these simple handy hints to help save you from possibly needing some treatment after a weekend of gardening or DIY.

So here goes:

1. Make sure that you are fit and strong enough to do the jobs you need to do.  Lots of lifting, bending or reaching when you're not used to it is not a good idea.  Why not try dividing up the heavy/repetitive/awkward jobs with other things or just taking a well deserved break.  Regular breaks are really key to help minimise problems, at least every 45 minutes or more frequently if you're not used to doing what you're doing.

2. If something hurts don't carry on but stop and maybe come back to it either later or even better, the next day.  If it still hurts, stop. 

3. Do try to keep water levels up especially if it's hot or you're doing strenuous work.

4. Remember to stretch after you've finished.  As tempting as it is to reach for a glass of something delicious and sink into a deck chair, stretching out will really help you when it comes to the next day!

I hope these are helpful and prevent you needing any extra help to get you painfree.  If you have an ache or pain that doesn't seem to ease do email and I will do my best to advise.