Gardening Ergonomics



When we think of injuries, we often relate it’s cause to movements or accidents during sports. Surprisingly, however, the most common injuries we see are due to our more habitual activities, such as working in front of a computer or chores around the house.


In fact, during this pandemic period, the activity of gardening has become a significant source of aches and pains. This is because gardening is often done for prolonged periods of time, without many breaks, and in awkward postures that put a lot of stress on the back muscles. For this reason, we wanted to discuss some tips regarding how to garden in a safer manner.






Gardening Postures:



Gardening is a pleasant activity, however, it forces you into awkward positions since most of the tasks are done at a very low level to the ground.


When gardening, the most frequently adopted positions are crouched (as shown by the man in the picture above) and kneeling (as shown by the woman above).


These postures each have their differing drawbacks.


In crouching:

The knees are in full bending which, when staying for a prolonged position, puts a significant amount of stress on the knee joint. It is for that reason that when you get back up after crouching a long time, the knee feels sensitive and tight. The same applies to the ankle joint which is in full dorsiflexion. The lower back is in full flexion (rounding) which is a more vulnerable position for the back since the back stabilizing muscles are less efficient in that position.


In kneeling:

Most of the same effects as when crouching applies, except the ankle is not stressed as much. If you observe the lady in white, she also has to bend her back forward in order to do the planting. This puts significant weight on the lower back (the equivalent of standing and bending forward at 45 degrees) and if done for prolonged periods of time, can lead to a lot of back tightness and fatigue. Kneeling and bending forward to garden is similar to sustaining this position:






You can certainly imagine how tired your back will get staying in this position for even a few minutes. But the kneeling version is even harder since your glutes and hamstrings, two very strong muscles of the lower extremity, cannot help to support the back while in the kneeling position.


As you have probably realized, it is almost impossible to be fully ergonomic when doing gardening as the tasks are done at such a low level to the ground. For that reason, the most recommended posture is an ever-changing posture.

Spend a few minutes kneeling on the ground to plant the flowers, then get back up to do some tasks that require different postures (standing to move some soil, standing to rake, etc…).


You may also switch between different positions such as crouching, kneeling, sitting, lunge position etc. alternating between each task every 5-10 minutes or so. This will help alternate the primary muscles being used and avoid over fatiguing the same muscles. Also, make sure to avoid too many twisting movements. This may occur when you have your little bench in one spot, and you want to work on some plants that are to the side of you. Instead, move the bench so you are front-facing the plants.




Tools to help maintain a better posture



There are tools that can facilitate and reduce the strain in these awkward kneeling/sitting/crouching positions.


This bench (shown below) can adjust so you can sit comfortably with the hips bent at an ergonomic angle, acts as a knee pad when kneeling, and also has handlebars to help you get back up (often needed if kneeling for a longer period of time).






Another stool that can be helpful is this tilting/swiveling stool:





The benefit is of a tilting/swiveling stool is the ability to tilt on the stool which will allow you to use your legs more when bending forward and lifting things from this seated position. Whereas a normal stool is fixed and will block your hips when bending forward, this tilting stool will allow your entire body to participate in the movement.


Using a wheelbarrow is also a good option when needing to transport heavy items such as bags of soil. However, it's important to remember to not overfill the wheelbarrow. Loading it at a 50% capacity is a safer option that will allow you to make less trips. It's also important to not lift the wheelbarrow with your back, but rather with your legs and your larger muscle groups.









Using knee pads or a foam pad can help protect your knee cap and joint. The direct pressure on the knee for prolonged periods of time can be irritating, so having nice thick foam knee pads can help alleviate some of the stress caused by the kneeling position.



Exercises



Since you spend most of the time bent forward with the back rounded while gardening, it is important to counter-balance that with some exercises that bend backwards.

This can be done in standing, with the hands on the hips/bum, and pushing your hips forward so your low back bends backwards. Make sure to go slowly and gently since after being in the ‘gardening’ positions for a while, the back will be stiff.





Using the foam roller or our massage ball once you come back into the house can be an excellent way to help release some of the built-up tension in your back from gardening.


Check out the video below for how to properly foam roll the back.



Conclusion



Although gardening doesn't seem like a very strenuous task, it can be quite demanding on the body. Thus, when gardening it is important to be mindful of the tools you are using, the way your body is positioned, the time you spend in certain positions, and that it is important to take care of your body before and after gardening (stretching and foam rolling).


Happy gardening!



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