POSTURE

It is vital to adopt a comfortable posture when working in the garden. If you feel pain - such as a classic backache - then look closely at the way you are working, or seek tools that will help reduce stress and strain. Relieve backache by raising (or lowering) the height of a potting bench or greenhouse staging so that your spine remains straight as you work. Vary jobs every 30-60 minutes or so, then your back isn't bent continually for long periods, such as when kneeling down to plant or weed. Choose tools like spades and forks to suit your build and height: tall gardeners find long handled and/or angled tools much easier to use. Use a cushioned pad or kneeler when working low down at ground level, to avoid pain and swelling in the knee joints. Always push rather than pull or swing powered equipment like a rotary hover mower.

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