The other day I was on the phone with one of my regular patients Jill…
She’s aged 53 from the Fens, and said…
“I was making the most of the lovely weather the other day by getting out in the garden. I was fine to begin with but then a few hours later my back began to stiffen up…
At first I thought ‘oh it’s just a stiff back, I’ve probably over done it, it’s happened before’, but a few days later the pain was still there, and it’s still bothering me.
My back aches when I’m sitting down, and I’m finding it a struggle to even put on my shoes. That’s the last thing I need.”
Now, this isn’t uncommon… especially NOT after a bank holiday weekend!
And when you consider that 77% of people say that they enjoy a spot of gardening, that’s a lot of backs that could potentially become sore! (And who can blame them – gardening has a great mental health impact! It’s even been said boost your mood and reduces stress).
The thing is, many people will put up with a bad back for days, even weeks, hoping that the pain will go away on it’s own, but you really don’t have to…
So, how about I give you three ideas for exercises to help you make back pain much less of a permanent fixture in your life? And even if you don’t have a garden, or you don’t enjoy planting pots – these daily stretches will still be beneficial to you in helping to ease, and prevent lower back pain.
Tip 1:
When you’re gardening, to take the pressure off of your back, garden on your hands and knees. This is much better than bending at the waist, or even working for a seated position, as it reduces the risk of back pain springing upon you.
Tip 2:
Take a twenty-minute break by putting the kettle on and relaxing with a brew. Sit back in the sunshine and admire your work. Your body will thank you for it! And remember, there’s never a need to do too much too soon.
If you start to feel any signs of pain, walk stretch and rest your back.
Tip 3:
And here’s a simple exercise for you..
All you’ve got to do is lay on your back, keeping your legs straight, bring one leg upwards toward your body and place both hands on the back of your thigh – keeping your leg as straight as possible, pull your leg in slowly towards your body.
Hold this stretch for ten seconds, and repeat on the opposite leg. You can perform this stretch up to four times on each leg.
Like I said…
This goes for any activity, not just gardening! You could be doing housework, DIY…whatever the activity may be, if you start using these tips, you’ll be keeping your back safe.
For more tips on easing back pain like this, here’s free special report with 9 top tips on how to avoid back pain…
Go to www.paulgoughphysio.com/back-pain or click the free report
You might know Paul as an expert Columnist who writes weekly health articles for TWO of the North East's biggest daily Newspapers, The Northern Echo And The Hartlepool Mail, he is a regular Speaker at Industry Seminars around the globe and a Radio Personality, often heard on the BBC. Paul has been an expert guest on dozens of Radio shows and regularly interviewed in newspapers, magazines and trade journals all over the world, including the Guardian.
Paul’s background included working extensively in the Premier League with a Top Professional Football Team, and since quitting his job in Professional Football in 2007, his Physio Practice has become the fastest growing in the UK and biggest in the North East. So successful, that companies like BUPA, ASDA, The Vela Group And Coast & Country, repeatedly retain his Physio company's services to keep healthy their own staff and workforce. Paul Gough Physio Rooms is now a large multi-physio, multi clinic speciality practice in Darlington, Durham, Guisborough and Hartlepool.
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