Main >> >> More Move Like A Child To Protect Your Back:Carrying Tools & Plant Flats

People think adaptive gardening is just about adapting the gardening space or our gardening tools. But adaptive gardening is not just tools or gardening space. Adaptive gardening is also about adapting our mindset to moving our bodies differently so we protect our backs.

When you have the chance, I'd like you to watch a toddler as they walk around carrying something. 

Notice how the little girl hugs the bag close to her body. 

Now look at the difference when we hold something away from our body. This is considered a static load . A static load means we're working our arms and shoulders much harder than needed. We generally do this because it keeps our clothes clean or we're stretching to reach something.

When our arms and shoulders work that hard our back has to come in and help the arms and shoulders out. And I can tell you for sure, our backs don't like having to steady the arms and shoulders that much. Ouch!

So we end up with a backache.  Adapt your gardening behaviors to protect your back. Our backs are assistive to the rest of our body.

Follow the advice of a child and

• keep your arms in close to your body. 
• Hug the object you are picking up.
• If the bag of garden tools is too heavy, then either get a cart or take some of the tools or plants  out.
• If you are concerned about messing up your clothes, get a gardening apron or wear old clothes.

Play like a child in your garden and your back will thank you for it.

All in a gardener's day,

Thanks to Tricia Freshnell for the photo of the little girl carrying the bag and Sherrie Smith for the photo of the boy with the red ball.