For keen gardeners, it can be incredibly frustrating trying to continue enjoying your favorite hobby while suffering from arthritis or joint pain. The good news is that there are various techniques you can use to reduce the discomfort you feel when gardening. Keep reading as we share some of our top tips for gardening with joint pain, so you can continue looking after your garden for many years to come.
Keep Switching Between Jobs
While you might previously have spent hours at a time in the garden on the same task, this isn’t always possible when looking for ways to protect your joints. We recommend switching tasks about every 20 minutes or as soon as you feel any pain in your joints from gardening. Whenever you feel like you need a break, listen to your body and take some time out. Harder jobs should be interspersed with easier tasks so that you give your body some time out to recover. You could consider setting an alarm for each 20-minute period so that you don’t overwork yourself when gardening.
Protect Your Joints in Cold Weather
When gardening during the winter months, one of the most important things to do is to protect your joints. Ensure you have enough layers on, adding a base thermal layer if needed. Wear gloves each time you are out in cold weather, which will help to protect your joints during these colder months. This can help to reduce stiffness and make your time spent outdoors more enjoyable.
Invest in Tools and Equipment to Reduce the Pressure on Your Joints
For anyone who loves spending hours in the garden, we recommend investing in the right tools and equipment to help reduce the pain you place on your joints. A gardening stool is one of the best purchases you could make, and it will help to save you energy and minimize the load that’s placed on your joints. Make sure you don’t stay seated for too long at a time though, as this can exasperate your joint pain.
There are some great lightweight tools on the market today, many of which come with an extendable handle. They will still allow you to reach the higher and more distant parts of your garden but will stop you from stretching too far or hurting your body.
Think About Your Posture
One of the reasons that many of us experience joint and muscle pain is that we aren’t aware of the poor positions we are putting our bodies in. When you are standing or seated, think about letting your stronger joints support your body. For example, instead of using the fingers for lifting, you’ll want to switch over to the palm of the hand or forearms, which are much stronger. Make sure you keep items very close to your body when lifting and carrying, and think about standing or sitting up straight. Try to switch the way you sit and stand as often as possible so that you can enjoy your gardening session for an extended period of time.
Take JointFuel360
JointFuel360 is one of the best ways to both prevent and treat any joint pain you may be experiencing. Here at Jupiter Labs, we are passionate about offering you the tools that are needed to enjoy a healthy lifestyle. JointFuel360 is formulated to help you safely enjoy your gardening while reducing the pain you feel in your joints.
You’ll find that this could be the one thing that completely changes the way you feel when spending time in your garden, so your arthritis or joint pain won’t ever stop you from enjoying the activities you love. It’s never too late to start taking JoinFuel360, and many of our clients notice very quick results as a result of adding this to their daily routine.
Stretch Gently Before Gardening
To reduce the likelihood of joint pain, make sure you do some gentle stretching before you begin gardening. This can help to loosen up your joints and will reduce the chance of an injury occurring. Focus on stretching your wrists and arms, as well as the legs. By taking just a few minutes to warm up and prepare for your gardening session, you’ll find that you don’t have as much pain, and you enjoy doing your favorite hobby as much as before.
Add Raised Flower Beds to Your Garden
If you find that you are struggling with gardening due to the height of your flower beds, think about raising them to a more appropriate level. We recommend adding raised flower beds, which won’t require you to bend over so much. This can make planting and caring for your flowers much easier, so you can spend longer tending to your garden.
Wear Wrist Splints or Supports
When working with an occupational therapist, it’s worth discussing with them the pain you feel when gardening. They’ll be able to advise you about whether it would be worth wearing splints, which can help to support your wrists and reduce the strain that’s placed on the joints. If you do wear splints, we still recommend adding gardening gloves on top so that you have an improved grip when using various gardening tools.
Don’t Try to Go It Alone
As your joint pain or arthritis progresses, it can be tempting to try and do everything you previously could do alone. While you likely want to maintain your independence as much as possible, try to ask for help where you can. This is especially important when carrying heavy loads or moving items or large plants around your garden. Find a family member or friend who can help you with your gardening, and you’ll see that it’s much more enjoyable. It’s also a great way to spend more time with your loved ones, allowing you to catch up on everything that’s going on in your lives.
As you can see, it’s totally possible to continue gardening while protecting your joints. We highly recommend taking JointFuel360 to reduce the chance of pain and minimize discomfort during your gardening sessions, to help you continue enjoying your favorite pastime for many more years.
