Springtime tips for Gardeners

Springtime marks the end of winter hibernation.  Gone is the desire to curl up in front of the telly, or to curl up to read a good book.  The desire to sleep loses its appeal.  With the warm spring sunshine, you feel the need to get out of the house, to soak up sunshine, to get active. Bear in mind that you need to recondition your body for all that outdoor activity. Start the season right with these simple tips.

Start slowly and gradually

Whether it’s taking up a new sport, running, or gardening, you need to increase your activity levels gradually.  Doing too much too quickly, is a recipe for injury!

Remember to warm up

Your body is a complex system – it needs to be “readied” for activity.  Starting slowly and gradually really pays off.  Do some gentle aerobic activity such as marching in place for five minutes or take a quick walk around the block.  This gets your heart working, starts the blood circulating, wakes up the muscles and the nervous system.  Having warmed up the body, gently stretch your neck, arms, and legs.  This short routine gets the body ready to do more strenuous activity.

Work smarter, not harder

Whatever your activity, focus on using your body “smarter, not harder.” Pushing yourself too hard in one session, will make your muscles feel sore and tired the following day(s). ( If they ache for days, then you really have done too much. A massage can really help ease the pain.) Take regular rest breaks - it helps the body recover.  Remember to stretch the muscles you’ve been using.  Switching activities gives your muscles a rest as you are using different muscles.  Pain tends to develop when you are using the same muscles for extended periods of time.

Following these tips - starting slowly, warming up, and working smarter will give your body time to adapt and adjust to your new level of activity.  You can enjoy doing the things you want to do and feel good doing them!

Oh, I nearly forgot - another excellent tip is to schedule a maintenance massage session.  This will get your body into tip top condition.    A maintenance massage will release any tense, tight muscles that could limit your activity or lead to an injury.  Go on, get outside, and enjoy yourself! 

Were these tips helpful?