The doctor advises how not to overstrain after the first day in the country
Photo: Nikolay OBEREMCHENKO
“There are quite a few diseases of the spine and joints that make working in the garden unsafe,” says Kristina Volodina, physiotherapy and sports medicine doctor, founder of the Nordic walking project Nordic Health, lecturer at Sechenov University, candidate of medical sciences, expert of the League of Nation’s Health. – Therefore, it is important to know simple rules that will help not to break your back and make work in the beds easier.
1. Swing with a shovel
Wrong:
Sharply twist the lower back when throwing the earth with a shovel to the side or shifting something heavy to the side from you. Twisting movements are dangerous for those who already have problems with the spine (protrusions, hernias, listhesis – displacement of the vertebrae in relation to each other, etc.). And for a healthy person, sudden movements are not the most physiological.
Right:
The back is bent, legs shoulder-width apart or one slightly pushed forward, we try to throw the ground forward or slightly to the side. When you need to throw it to the left or right, try not to do it abruptly, with a slight turn of the body and the removal of the desired leg, focusing on it. This will help avoid injury.
2. Weeding beds (planting plants)
Wrong:
Sitting on your haunches, weeding the beds is not very physiological, especially if you do it for a long time, without unbending and without changing your position. It is harmful to the knees, hips and lower back. In hypertensive patients and the elderly, this can potentially provoke a rise in pressure (vessels are pinched).
Right:
Every 30 minutes, be sure to unbend and do a light warm-up, but it is better to walk. It is good to use a special bench or chair. You can just kneel on the ground. But in this case, if there are problems with the joints, it is better to purchase special knee pads that will help reduce the load.
Garden benches are now universal: in the usual position, you can sit on it, in an inverted position, you can work on your knees. At the same time, the seat is upholstered on both sides with soft material.
3. Weight lifting
Wrong:
lifting weights due to a jerk of the lower back (that is, bending in half) is very harmful. And not only for lifting weights, but also for normal work on the beds (see point 2). At the very least, back pain will be excruciating. Lumbar sciatica, sciatica (pain along the sciatic nerve), and even problems with intervertebral discs (protrusion, hernia, etc.) are possible.
Right:
Lifting weights from a squat or semi-sitting position: This is essentially how we use our legs as leverage to lift weights from a semi-squat position. That is, the lumbar vertebrae remain relatively safe.
IMPORTANT
Movements are smooth and short
For elderly summer residents, especially those who preferred to lie on the couch all winter rather than walk in the park, it is very important not to overexert:
– In the first summer days, do not rush, – says the therapist Olga Molchanova. – Do several approaches and change the area of activity more often. For example: 15 minutes collecting leaves, rest. Then 15 minutes planting seedlings. Rest again.
Hypertension patients need to be in a bent position as little as possible, head down. And forget about sudden movements! You can not rise sharply, bend, turn around – all this can provoke problems with the ligaments or muscles of the back, disrupt the correct position of the vertebrae in the lumbar region. The pain may not even appear immediately, but after some time, but in any case it is dangerous. If there are problems with veins in the legs (varicose veins), I highly recommend compression stockings or stockings. And also in the evening (or even a couple of times during the day) after work, put your feet in a cool salt bath for 5-10 minutes, and then put them on a slight elevation to improve blood circulation.
