Hi there! Welcome to my blog. My name is Debbie and I am a housewife from Alice Springs, Australia. I love the life I have here with my wonderful husband and our four kids. It all started about a year ago when I realised that I couldn't read the label on a jar of food I was trying to open. I asked my husband if there was a problem with the way the label had been printed but he said he could read it just fine. He booked me an appointment at Vision2000Kota and they carried out some test to rule out any serious problems. Thankfully, I just needed to start wearing glasses. I hope you enjoy my health and medical blog.
Beat Disease and Keep Fighting Fit
How to Keep Gardening When Arthritis Sets In
Regina Barnett
If you've been complaining of arthritic pain while gardening, you've likely heard friends and family members telling you to give up this agonising hobby. However, as green-thumbed individuals like yourself know, the pleasure of gardening and the mental and physical health benefits of being out in nature are too precious to let go of. Fortunately, there are many ways to make gardening easier on your body when you're plagued by arthritis. Follow these 3 tips to get your pain under control and your gardening back on track.
Reschedule Your Garden Time
Like many gardeners, are you the type to set aside long half-day or full-day blocks of time to tend your plants? While spending long periods of time gardening can be enjoyable and convenient, it's not great for your arthritis. The more consecutive time you spend gardening, the more likely you are to suffer arthritis flare ups and severe pain. Try to spread your gardening time out over the whole week, spending half an hour here and there sprucing things up. If you're only able to garden on one day, make sure you take frequent breaks to allow your body to rest, and consider inviting a friend over to share the fun and the strain with.
Grow Easier Plants
Some plants require lower maintenance than others. If your garden requires very frequent tending and pruning, consider refreshing your landscape by planting new, lower maintenance flowers. Some of the easiest plants to care for include lavender, heather, marigolds, azalea, jasmine, snowdrops and zinnias. You'll reduce your workload and get an exciting new look for your garden in the process. You can also complement this buy taking additional steps to reduce the amount of maintenance your garden needs. Consider using larger planters or getting rid of them altogether, planting hard-wearing turf or letting grass grow longer, installing a sprinkler system and removing fish from your ponds.
Buy Gardening Aids
Many people with arthritis use daily living aids around the home. Did you know you can also buy living aids to help in the garden too? Nowadays, there are many helpful tools on the market for those with arthritis. Start by switching to trowels, shears, weeders and forks with ergonomic handles, or buying an add-on handle that fits onto standard sized tools. You can also purchase kneeling platforms or wheeled stools to help you get down to the ground without hurting your legs or back. If you don't already use aids around the home, consider looking into them too. Reducing your strain indoors will give you more energy to use outdoors.
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