Gardening is an increasingly common activity that is being taken up by people everywhere, both young and old alike. It is something that people have been doing for millennia. In times past, it was done out of necessity. Today, you can garden with ease as it is often done as a way to improve well-being and enjoy a creative hobby.
There are numerous health benefits of gardening, including strengthening your immune system, building up your strength, improving cognitive functioning, boosting your mood, reducing stress, and much more. That makes gardening an excellent activity to take part in, no matter who you are. Even if you’re a senior who has sore joints, you can safely garden with ease. As long as you take a few precautions, you will find gardening to be a very enjoyable hobby.
Here are some of the best tips to garden with ease you can follow so that you enjoy gardening as much as possible:
Raised Plant Beds
Avoid kneeling down and bending over by having raised plant beds. These are easily available online, at gardening stores, and in catalogs. When you have a raised plant bed, you can simply stand and garden without unnecessarily placing strain on your joints. There are a variety of shapes and sizes that raised beds come in. Ideally, you will want them to be around three feet in height.
Have a Seat
Sitting in a chair or on a stool will greatly help you from feeling any physical pain while gardening. You could also use a garden caddy on wheels to stow away your gardening tools, which your back will thank you for! Sitting while gardening is going to make a big difference, so consider getting something that you will not mind getting a little dirty while you garden.
Choose Your Plants Wisely
When selecting the plants to grow in your garden, find ones that will provide the most return for your effort. That means selecting the plants that are going to grow the easiest in your zone and area. Herbs, peppers, kale, and lettuce are usually all quite easy to grow in most places, but you should check to see what others grow best where you live.
Plant a Dynamic Range of Plants
Before you begin gardening, ask yourself what type of plants you would like to plant. Will they be solely for visual appearance? Perhaps you will plant them for their delicious taste? You should consider planting several different types of plants which can delight multiple senses. You can select a few plants that look beautiful, a few others that taste great, some that smell aromatic, and even a couple that feel fantastic. Titillating as many of your senses as possible will delight you far more than if you were only planting something that provides just one or two types of sensory delights. You will enjoy a much more elevated gardening experience when you have plants that you can enjoy what you see, taste, touch, and smell.
Mind the Growing Requirements
Different plants have different growing requirements. That means you may need to pay attention to what you plant in the same container or area of your raised beds. For example, if you plant a cactus next to a tomato plant, you may end up killing the cactus if all of the water for your tomato plant gets to the roots of your cactus. Another example is planting something that requires a great deal of shade with a plant that requires full sun. Follow the growing requirements for your plants and only plant different types of plants if they have similar growing requirements.
Use Ergonomic Tools
Using ergonomic tools and ones that go easy on your joints will be something you are eternally grateful for when gardening. Additionally, you can get tools that have long handles so that you can stay standing while gardening. Tools that have handles that can be gripped easily will help you have less pain in your hands. You could also get a kneeling pad if you do have to resort to kneeling, since it will at least provide a softer surface for your joints.
Make Sure You Have Good Posture
Take a look at your posture when gardening. Are you allowing your largest and strongest joints to do most of the work? If not, you should shift to doing so. For example, if you are normally using your fingers to lift things, use your palms instead, or even your forearms. You can also keep things closer to your body when carrying them, which places less strain and tension on your arms. Whenever you can, stand up straight when you are gardening, and make sure to frequently change your positions to not become too stiff.
Give Yourself Rest Breaks
You will need to take frequent rest breaks if you want to give your joints an easier time while gardening. This could also be an exercise in being in the present moment. Look around and enjoy the environment around you. Have an enjoyable drink or refreshment. When you give yourself rest breaks, you are preventing fatigue from even creeping in.
Take a Joint Supplement
A joint supplement will help keep your joints limber and free of pain. Most people bend and kneel quite a bit while gardening, which leads to aching backs, knees, and ankles. A popular natural joint health supplement is JointFuel360. With this supplement, you receive high-potency antioxidants like resveratrol, anti-inflammatory ingredients like black pepper extract and turmeric, along with other joint health compounds like type II collagen. All of the ingredients combined help you suffer far less joint pain, and sometimes avoid feeling any pain at all. Besides all of the tips to garden with ease mentioned above, this should be a part of your daily health regimen.
Wrapping Up How to Garden with Ease
Gardening is an excellent hobby that won’t add to any joint pain or soreness you may be experiencing, as long as you plan ahead and alter a few things. It provides plenty of physical and mental benefits, and can be enjoyed by anyone, even those with arthritis. Making a few adjustments and taking a joint health supplement will significantly reduce the potential for pain, allowing you to enjoy this wonderful hobby to its fullest.
