Regardless of how old you are, gardening is a fun hobby for individuals. Gardening is known to help reduce stress, strengthen bones, and improve cardiovascular heart. However, as you get older, it is important that you are cautious in the garden due to the constant bending over that you do that can result in the back pain. While working in your garden, keep these three tips in mind to minimize back pain and injury.

Tip #1: Perform Stretches Before and After

Stretching is one of the most effective ways to improving blood circulation and getting your muscles armed up before getting out in the garden. Toe touches, overhead reaches, and side bends are great exercises to perform to loosen up your lower back and shoulders. These stretches should be performed both prior to and following your gardening sessions to warm up your muscles and prevent stiffness of the muscles and potential injuries. If you have been dealing with any kind of pain recently, doing these stretches before you get started on in the garden will help minimize the pain that you feel and keep the pain from getting worse before you can get to the doctor. 

Tip #2: Don't Hunch Over

Some common mistakes that individuals make when they are gardening include hunch over and bending at the waist. Movements like these create excess stress on the lower back, possibly leading to muscle spasms or chronic back pain. You can prevent injuries like these, as well as pain, by maintaining a neutral position and sitting down while gardening instead of leaning over. In the event that you're already suffering from pain, hunching over while out in the garden is only going to cause the pain and any underlying condition to worsen.

Tip #3: Limit Your Gardening Sessions

You may enjoy spending the entire day out in the garden, but this is the very last thing that you should if you want to take care of your body. While you can go out in the garden multiple times a day, it is a good idea to limit each gardening sessions to about 30 minutes each. In the event that you need to spend more time in the garden one session, make sure to give yourself plenty of breaks by standing up, stretching and moving around with a straight back. 

In the event that you do injure your back while gardening or performing any other type of physical activity, reach out to a pain management service in your area for professional assistance. Don't procrastinate talking to a professional. After all, the sooner you seek treatment, the sooner you can get back to your favorite hobby!