Gardening is rewarding in so many ways, but it can also be physically demanding. If we’re working in landscaping or in-ground garden beds there’s a lot of getting up and down, kneeling, and other such actions that can take a toll on our joints. Fortunately, there are some solutions for making gardening a little easier on our bodies that may come in handy for those of us who are aging, have mobility issues, or are just dealing with a bad knee. Let’s dig in and learn a bit about making gardening easier for our joints!
Let’s start with some obvious ideas that we should all follow while gardening: work at your own pace, get up and stretch frequently, take breaks as needed and stay hydrated. A good deal of the joint or muscle pain we sometimes feel after a busy day in the garden comes from staying in one position for too long, over-using muscles doing something repetitive, or just getting over-tired and dehydrated. Frequent breaks to stand up, stretch out, get some water, and cool down will help with this for most of us as well as keeping gardening a bit safer overall.
For those of us with knee issues, gardening can be a challenge. Kneeling to weed a bit, transplant seedlings, or do another normal garden task can get painful after a while. There are a few techniques and strategies we can use to mitigate this, however. A kneeling pad of some sort can provide a bit of cushioning and take some of the strain off of our legs. Kneeling pads come in a variety of sizes, thicknesses, and densities so that you can select the right one for you. As an alternative, sitting on a stool, sturdy bucket, or low bench can help even more for some people; the trick as always is to find the solution that works best for you.
If joints are a chronic problem and kneeling or sitting in a low position isn’t comfortable at all, raised beds or a container garden are other options to consider. By moving the garden a bit higher up, we can reduce the amount of kneeling and bending over required to work with our plants and our soil. Options abound—large containers, pre-made raised beds, DIY options. It’s fairly easy to try a few different things and figure out what’s right for you and your garden space and then proceed accordingly.
Some of us may benefit by changing up our gardens even further and adding some low-maintenance plants in order to reduce the time and effort demand. Perennials are especially good for this. Day lily, lavender, purple coneflower, and native wildflowers can provide a great deal of beauty while reducing the workload, so we can spend the time we want with our gardens and stay comfortable doing it. This applies to landscaping, where azaleas, camellias, and hydrangeas can provide years of beauty without as much demand for upkeep. The key as always is to pick easy-care plants that also do well in the conditions found in your garden space, so a bit of research may be in order.
We may also find some value in reducing the weight we have to carry or haul while gardening. Some garden supplies like soil and fertilizer come in large heavy bags, and breaking those up into smaller quantities when we need to move them may help save some joint and muscle strain. Likewise, using a smaller watering can or a hose to water plants may spare us aching knees or a sore back the next day. These techniques are essentially free to try and and may make a big different for many of us, so we encourage you to give them a shot. If you need to move something a bit heavier or bulkier, a wheelbarrow or garden cart can make a huge difference, so consider adding one of these useful tools to your garden if you haven’t already.
If you’ve made it this far, we’d also suggest you read our blog on gardening safety as it has some additional ideas and suggestions that may be useful. Gardening is for everyone, and by following some safety guidelines and adapting our spaces a bit even those of us with creaky knees or other mobility challenges can continue to enjoy gardening and our garden spaces. If you have any tips or tricks that you’d like to share, please let us know! You may help someone else with their gardening life.
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