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livingontheland - Re: [Livingontheland] Back Care for Gardening

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Subject: Healthy soil and sustainable growing

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  • From: "Laura McKenzie" <laurabrownmckenzie@worldnet.att.net>
  • To: "E. E. Mitchamore Jr" <emitch@att.net>, "Healthy soil and sustainable growing" <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] Back Care for Gardening
  • Date: Sat, 28 Apr 2007 22:21:35 -0500

I have back exercises I do each night as part of a regime my PT gave me for scoliosis. Keeping all of the core muscles strong is important. I can't do crunches though. My neck is a mess; it freezes up on me and cracks and pops all the time. So instead, I get down on the floor and put my legs up as though I was sitting in a chair with my upper legs perpendicular to the floor and my lower legs parallel to the floor. After pushing my back to the floor and holding my core muscles tight, I slowly lower my heels to the floor and tap my heels on the floor and then slowly raise my legs again. Its important that you keep your lower back pushed into the floor while you do this so if you can't get your heels all the way to the floor without the back coming up go only partway.... that is how I understand it anyway. I also push my lower back to the floor and while holding it there I push my shoulder into the floor to help strengthen the back... at least according to my PT it does. I keep pushing for a count of 5, then release and I do about 20 of them.

I've spent years with an aching back but now watch what I lift and stick with the exercises. I used to not be able to do an entire day of gardening without hurting a lot. I can now. I finished a 12 mile hike in the Sipsey Wilderness today with a 20 pound backpack on part of the way and a 50 pound daughter on board part of the way so something must be going right for me! (I twisted my ankle though ... maybe sprained it...and the hip is a little tired feeling.)

Its also important to keep track of your knees. When I get down on the ground to garden I have to grab and tightly hold my knee all the way down and again when I stand up. It can get to be a pill.

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Laura's Homeschooling, Garden, and Genealogy Site
is found here: http://home.att.net/~ekyorigins
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