TAKE IT EASY: Gardening is a great form of exercise if you do ‘little and often’ (Image: Alamy/PA)
Tending the garden does wonders for your sense of wellbeing but it can be a challenge if you have arthritis. It’s estimated that more than 10 million people in the UK live with some sort of joint pain, inflammation and stiffness.
But experts say there are ways to alleviate pain and discomfort when doing gardening jobs. “Pacing, posture and positioning are key,” says Damien Newman, from the charity Thrive, which helps improve people’s health through gardening and horticulture.
There are also tools and equipment that can make tasks easier and more enjoyable. Obviously what you can do in the garden depends on the type and severity of the arthritis, but it is important to keep exercising, says Dr Wendy Holden, from Arthritis Action.
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“Exercise is not going to cause any harm and that’s an important thing to know. Even if things hurt, it’s not causing damage. You can’t damage your joints by using them,” says the charity’s medical advisor and honorary consultant rheumatologist.
“If you’ve got stiffness and pain in your hands, things like gripping secateurs are going to be difficult. Potentially, hedge trimming would be difficult and other physical manual dexterity tasks,” says Dr Holden.
Pain in the knees and hips means it’s going to be more difficult to kneel down to do weeding and you’ll need to be careful lifting anything. But spending a bit of time in the garden is good because it relaxes you, says Newman.
He adds: “Do the bits that you want to do and find ways to not do the bits you don’t want to do any more.” Here are seven tips on how best to garden if you suffer from arthritis:
1. Position yourself comfortably
“Obviously, if you have arthritis affecting your lower limbs, gardening in a seated or stood position is going to be a lot easier on the joints that are being affected,” says Newman. “Try to keep your back neutral and work with your limbs at 90-degree angles.”
Using the right-sized tools can also help – avoid long-handled tools which are too long for your body, as overstretching restricts blood flow which can exacerbate symptoms. Conversely, tall people tend to bend over when using regular-sized rakes and hoes, giving themselves backache.
2. Think about posture
People with osteoporosis, in other words fragile bones, have to be really careful with bending forwards and lifting, says Dr Holden. It’s important to consider your posture when lifting heavy objects, like pots or sacks of compost.
“Bend from the hips and use your knees to lift and keep the object close to you,” she says. If picking up items by your fingers is uncomfortable, when carrying lighter equipment such as a seed tray or a piece of turf, Thrive recommends resting it on your forearms and hands, keeping your elbows tucked in to reduce strain.
3. Don’t overdo it
“Pacing yourself is really important, accepting that it’s ok to do a little bit and then a little bit another day,” says Newman. Mowing the lawn can be a strenuous activity for somebody with arthritis that’s affecting their knees, hips or ankles.
“If you’ve a large garden, think, ‘I’ll tackle that over a week’ rather than thinking ‘I have to mow all of the lawn in one go’.” Dr Holden suggests doing a variety of jobs during the day and avoiding repetitive tasks, to work different joints. Switch your grip on tools as well.
4. Use ergonomic tools
There are many adaptive tools which have special grips to help people with arthritis. In addition, gardening gloves not only helps avoid blisters and grubby fingernails but can improve your grip – wearing compression gloves underneath can provide extra comfort for the joints, says Dr Holden
And don’t wear flimsy flat wellies all day, she says. “Either wear flat wellies with lots of socks in them so your feet stay nice and warm, or wellies with insoles to give you lots of nice support if you’re on your feet all day.”
CORRECT KIT: Adapted lightweight tools and good gardening gloves can make tasks easier (Image: Thrive/PA)
5. Watch the weather
With autumn approaching, watch the weather to choose your optimum gardening time, the experts agree. Joints often don’t like being cold and wet, so now is the ideal time to get the pot-washing done, while it’s still warm outside, rather than waiting until later in the new year.
6. Make your garden lower-maintenance
Consider filling your garden with plants that don’t need so much intensive care, says Newman. Shrubs and herbaceous plants are much easier to maintain than perennials or vegetables. And use ground-cover plants so there’s less need to weed or mulch, he says.
If you have a deep border, make a pathway through it so you can access the back more easily, and reduce the size of your lawn if you want to do less mowing. Raised beds are a good idea to help prevent the need to bend over or kneel down when gardening.
Don’t feel guilty about investing in gizmos which will ease your efforts and help you enjoy your garden, he adds. Handy devices include robotic lawnmowers and auto-irrigation systems.
7. Stretch after gardening
Do some stretches after gardening to alleviate backache. “Lying on your back and pulling your knees up to your chest is good for an aching back,” says Dr Holden. If you have osteoarthritis in the base of your thumb and it aches after gardening, you can buy resting thumb splints to wear in the evening for support, she adds.
Helpful items
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Ergonomic trowel: NRS Healthcare’s Easi-Grip Garden Trowel costs £21.99 on Amazon. Its specially angled handle keeps your hand and wrist in a natural position.
Rachet secateurs: The bestselling JiveSnip Professional Ratchet Anvil Pruning Shears are £16.99 on Amazon. The ratchet system increases hand strength by two or three times, ideal for those with arthritis.
Easy planting: The long Bulb Planting Auger costs from £7.99 at Crocus. Simply slot the attachment into your cordless drill.
Get comfy: The VonHaus Garden Kneeler Seat and Tool Set costs £24.99 at Robert Dyas and gets an overall rating of 4.9 stars. Includes a trowel, a fork, rake and storage bag.
Prices correct at the time of publication.
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