It's funny in the winter when I'm off I work out by running on the treadmill and it kills me the first few weeks but during the landscape season I spend a lot of time bending over or stooping and kneeling and it doesn't bother me at all but running kills my legs the first few weeks of doing it because I've not been using those muscles as intensely for eight months.

I think part of it is strengthening certain back muscles and then just getting used to the bending over the course of a few weeks. You could also wear a back brace like the movers and knee pads like flooring professionals do, that really helps alot. I think stretching is also a good idea. I also try not to do repetitive tasks for more then two hours at a time but change what I'm doing from weeding, digging, edging to pruning or raking and then back again.

I sit on a low foot stool type seat most of the time when I work in the garden....so my back is spared your agony. I also bend my knees when I lift something...or at least try to when I remember to do it.....:-D

I was in physical therapy most of last summer after injuring my lower back while gardening. The most important thing is strengthening your core....abdominal muscles. They support and protect the back. After an injury you should apply ice to your back ASAP. 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off. Ice works well for at least 48 hours, sometimes longer. The other important thing is to use your legs, not your back for bending. Bending at the back is a killer. That means strengthening your quads so you have better support in your legs. I also sit on a low bench or just on the ground a lot. I do anything to avoid bending over. Physical Therapy made a HUGE difference for me, and I learned a lot. If you're able to get some PT, I'd recommend it. Good luck!

I have to agree with proudgrma. I've never had a back injury or PT, but the two main things, I would think, are using your legs to bend and lift, and strengthening your abdominals. I'm overweight and out of shape, but I am fairly strong and flexible, so I've been lucky in avoiding injuries. But I am constantly tightening my stomach muscles whenever I lift anything, (or do anything half-way strenous, for that matter) and I always use my knees. I think that has helped me.

:)
Dee

I agree with proudgrma too. DH has had back problems before and icing and PT make a big difference.

I rarely have had any back issues. I hurt my back in my 20s once and that was enough for me to get in the habit of using careful body mechanics when working in the g*arden. You might want to look on YouTube and see if you can find a video that would illustrate how to move correctly to protect your back.

One of the things I do a lot of is think of ways to move heavy items without lifting them. Dragging a shrub on a tarp instead of lifting it. Using a dolly. Rolling or 'walk*ing' a big bag of s*oil to where it needs to go. When we dig holes, We might start it with a shovel and then finish it on hands and knees with a hand trowel which is easier on the back then shoveling. If the hole is that large, then it's time to call in young people with healthy backs.

At PT, my DH was told to get on one knee with the other foot flat on the ground. I hope I am describing that right. That is the most comfortable position for him. I would rather be on both knees.

I think the easiest way to figure out how to protect your back, aside from asking a PT person when you go, is to SLOW down and listen to your body. You can figure out what is easy for you and what feels like the least strain on your body. Pay attention and be alert when you are working in the g*arden.

if you don't do exercises, and your back is bothering you after working in the g*arden, then maybe your muscles are not strong enough for the work you are trying to do. The one time I injured my back, I got a b*ook out of the library called 'Maggie's Back B*ook' or something like that. She had serious injuries to her back and got herself back to normal with exercises. So all her exercises were carefully considered for strengthening all the muscles the back needs and not anything that would put the back at risk.

My Mom also hurt her back once and faithfully did the exercises the PT person gave her to do, every day for years and didn't have another problem.

I'm like pitimpinai and use a kids small stool/bench on wheels for doing my repotting, plant labelling, etc. I got mine at a garage sale, but I believe they are sold in garden departments or places like Lee Valley. I keep trying to make my garden lower maintenance by elimating plants that need constant dividing, pruning, weeding etc. If you have any major digging to do, hire a student or someone else that's young and needs the job.

I use a rolling stool as well, but the work I'm doing has to be the right height to make it comfortable. If the work is lower and I'm on the rolling seat, then I am stretching forward and down and straining my lower back. I'm better off on a kneeling pad on my knees if that's the case. Something like pruning a Boxwood that is about 4 feet tall is perfect for the rolling seat.

I've been doing a lot of shovel work this year digging up lawn and tweak my back a few weeks ago. Along with the normal Ibuprofen I was applying heat.

Well - it got so bad I went to a chiropractor worried because golf league starts in 5 days.

One thing the has REALLY help is apply COLD for 20 minutes 4 times a day. The pain as going from a constant 6 down to a controllable 1.

So IF you back hurts put COLD on the vertebrae to reduce swelling - it helps a lot.

Thanks so much everyone for all the great suggestions. I am going to increase my workouts to include more core muscle building (yoga) and the idea of a small garden stool sounds perfect.

I really appreciate all the advice!

This time of year I also feel like I am 93 and I am only 82. I can not seem to find garden weeders with the right length handle to use without bending over. I have three weed whackers that also require using with my back bent. The best I have been able to do is limit the time of use of any one tool to about 4o minutes, then sit down in a chair with a good back support for about twenty minutes. Al

The more yoga I do during gardening season, the less my body seems to suffer. I garden full time (9 months/year) for a living, am in my mid-40's, and spend lots of time hunched over weeding and planting annuals, perennials and shrubs. I find that yoga's backbends, stretches and emphasis on posture and alignment really help a lot.

I'm soon to be 56, and I surely can relate with you. Last year, in particular, was a difficult one for my back, as I was laying concrete block for raised garden beds for weeks and weeks. Here's what I found to be very helpful.

Each day, before I go out to work, I spend a few minutes stretching. Get down on hands and knees in a crawling position. Let your lower back "sag" down as far as it can, while pulling your head back so you are looking at the ceiling. Hold that position for a ten count. Then, draw your whole body back so that all your weight is on your legs with your thighs on top of your calves. Bend forward with your arms outstretched and try to touch your forehead to the floor. Hold for a ten count. Do this several times.

As you work, stop frequently to stretch. Plant your feet at shoulder width. Put your hands on the small of your back on either side. Slightly bend your knees, and rock your pelvis forward until you feel a stretch in your lower back. Hold for a ten count.

I have never injured my back when I do these. If I forget, I'm at a high risk of putting my lower back into spasms. Then it's ice and moist heat, but definitely do not stop moving. Move gingerly, stretching frequently, and you'll be over the injury a whole lot sooner.

I learned these things from the year I spent in PT back when I was young and carrying babies around on my hip. (Hold them to your chest so their weight is centered on your body.) Also, watch your posture!