Warm weather is finally arriving and with flowers popping their pretty faces out after winter and gardeners emerging from their hibernation, some aches and pains may arise. However, you don’t have to let your digging, mowing, raking, weeding and trimming blossom into an injury.

These activities offer opportunities to strain muscles, which plants the seed for lingering aches depending on how you go about the task. Fortunately, there are many ways to prevent injuries. The way you bend and move determines how much strain you put on your spine, knees, hips, shoulders and feet.

With the correct tools and by using good body mechanics and certain muscles to protect your back, you can reduce the likelihood of developing pain.

Stretch before you start

Warm up by gently stretching your muscles before working in the yard. Walk around the block or garden briskly to give your muscles a chance to increase blood circulation and increase the flexibility of your joints, which reduces the chance for injury. See www.csspt.com for a list of gardening stretches.

Bend your knees to lift with ease

When lifting, keep your back straight and bend your knees. Use your thigh and buttock muscles when returning from the squatted position, keeping the back straight. Always face the object that you are lifting and get help for heavy loads. Use a wheelbarrow or a dolly when moving heavy pots around.

Make sure the object that you are lifting, like a sack of mulch, is not too heavy to lift. Test its weight by lifting one corner. Roll or push rather than pull heavy loads. It’s better to carry several light loads of soil, dirt or debris than to struggle with one large load that may be too heavy.

Take a break before you do

Avoid repetitive work. Switch hands frequently when raking, hoeing or shoveling to avoid strain on one side of the body or the other, which can produce muscle spasms. Do not work too long in one position, especially if it is an unfamiliar or awkward stance. When your muscles tire, take a break and walk to relax fatigued muscles. Pace and vary your gardening activities. Do not try and do too much in one day, in one position. Slow and steady gets the job done.

If you do ache the next day after gardening, rest and apply ice to the painful area. If the pain continues, contact your physician or physical therapist.

The right tools for the right moves

Use long handled, lighter tools to keep you from bending while digging, raking or mowing. Make sure that your tools are sharp to avoid extra strain. Use pruners and loppers with a ratchet system because this makes cutting easier and decreases pressure on the back and shoulders. Put secateurs in a holster attached to your belt so you don’t have to constantly pick them up.

Be extremely careful and safe when working on a ladder because it’s a major cause for fractures and more serious injuries in the garden. When weeding get down on all fours, kneel one knee at a time or sit on a bucket or stool. Bending from the waist to the ground from a standing position, places too much strain on the lower back. Use hoses or reels, for irrigation, not heavy watering cans. If you have to use them, only fill them halfway.

Wear the correct gear

Invest in a good pair of gardening gloves and use them to protect your hands from fungi, or impurities in the soil, especially if you have skin lesions. Good supportive footwear is also essential. A rounded toe shoe with a deep toe box helps to prevent pain from corns. Rubber soles prevent bruises when stepping on stones and provide good shock absorption.

Loose socks with mild compression ensure good circulation to the feet and lycra or cotton socks are efficient at keeping the feet cool. Good protective footwear is essential for diabetic gardeners.

Timing is important

Work in the early morning and late afternoon to avoid overexposure to the sun.

Adapt your habits

If you have chronic back pain, plant slow-growing shrubs, which are easier to maintain than annuals and herbaceous perennial. Grow plants in higher places or larger containers or raised beds because they are easier to reach. To avoid painful weeding completely, consider a weed killer, always following the manufacturers instruction.

Given the late spring in the mid-Willamette Valley, gardeners’ pent up energy could lead to overexertion and a tendency to overdo it. Good luck, be safe, do not let an ugly injury ruin your beautiful, peaceful, and hopefully pain-free gardening season.

Carrol Esterhuizen is a certified physical therapist at Corvallis Sport and SpinePhysical Therapy. She can be reached at 752-0545 or info@csspt.com.