Gardening is a fantastic hobby to have. Not only will you be working with nature, but there’s an immeasurable sense of satisfaction that comes from planting and reaping produce with your own hands.
However, this joy and fulfilment aside, gardening can be hard on your body. This is especially true among seniors. To exacerbate the problem, it’s often people in the older age group who are more into gardening.
Let’s look at a few ways you can engage in gardening while also making it easier on your body.
* Protect your knees
As you age, the cartilage in your knee joint gets worn out. The skin on your knees will be thinner too.
Since gardening requires a lot of kneeling, one of the best items you could get would be a large kneeling pad. It needs to be large enough to suit your needs, and the foam should be firm and yet, supportive.
The mat you buy should be easy to clean and water resistant (because it will be on damp soil). The Growerology mat is excellent for this purpose, and you’ll be getting 2 for the price of one.
* Take it easy on your back
Another part of your body that takes a beating is your back. If you’re constantly bending over to plant seeds or hunched over while digging around the soil, it can take a toll on your back.
The first step to ease the strain will be to take a 10-15 minute break after every 30-45 minutes of gardening.
The second step will be to have a seat that helps with your gardening. One way to do it will be to use the XCSOURCE garden kneeler. It serves as both a seat and a kneeling pad.
The difference between this model and the Growerology one is that this is more versatile, and of course, it costs more – but is well-worth the extra investment.
The downside to the XSOURCE kneeler is that while it makes gardening easier on your back, it has no back rest. So, you may wish to go with a foldable chair such as the Lamberia model which has arm rests and even a cup holder!
With this chair, you can take a break and have a seat in your garden while you soak up the sun’s rays and enjoy the view in your garden.
In fact, the cup holder hints at another safety tip…
* Stay hydrated
It’s easy to get dehydrated when the weather is hot. Here’s the problem – even if you keep a cool drink outside, the hot weather will warm it up… and you don’t want to keep going to the house back and forth.
The best way to deal with this hassle will be to use a flask such as the Iron Flask insulated water bottle. It has a double wall insulation. That essentially means that you won’t have water droplets collecting on the inside of the flask AND it keeps the water cold for up to 24 hours.
Slot this bottle in your Lamberia chair and you’re good to go anytime you need a break.
* Other items
It goes without saying that you need to use gardening gloves (for men, for women).
Wearing a hat for your gardening will help to deflect the sun’s direct rays away from your head and neck. As we age, our skin needs all the care it can get. Instead of using a straw hat, you’re better off using a fishing hat (for men, for women) because the neck flap will protect your neck.
You may even wish to use sunscreen on your arms and other areas of your skin that gets exposed to the sun. There’s no need to get branded sun blocks like Banana Boat which is water resistant. You’re not going in the water.
All you need is the SPF Rx sunscreen. It absorbs quickly, lasts for hours, is not greasy and is paraben-free. You can get it in a quart or ounce. It’s cheaper in bulk.
* In conclusion…
You don’t need to get all these items at once, though if you do, you’ll save on shipping. What’s important here is that you get the items you need to ‘protect’ yourself. The kneeling mat is especially important.
All these are investments in your gardening hobby and they’ll last for years (other than the sunscreen, which you’ll need to replace every few months).
So, look after yourself as well as you do your plants, and you’ll thrive as well as them. Practice safe and happy gardening!
