Rutgers Master Gardeners of Burlington County Blog

By Marilyn Fishman  When working close to the ground Bend from hips, not the waist . Keep the chin off the neck or chest . Keep the back straight . Work close to the body, the further away from the body the arms are, the rounder the back will be . Avoid twisting sideways: face you work area directly, for most people the muscles for lateral movements are weaker than those for forward movement . If kneeling hurts, use a cushion or knee pads. Consider trying a padded kneeler that doubles as a stool. Knee with one knee on the cushion and other bent at 90 degrees with the foot on the ground. Change position often . Avoi d working close to the ground with raised planters or beds. The height of a bed should be 24 inches for wheelchair gardeners or 30 inches for someone who wants to stand and has difficulty bending and reaching. Telescoping tools can be helpful. When carrying Avoid wheel-barrows; a two-wheeled garden cart causes less strain . Try to push rather than

By Marilyn Fishman  When using hand tools - Keep the wrists in a neutral position (wrist straight with thumbs up or wrapped around a tool handle to meet the forefinger) RI 9684 page 5 - Avoid bending or twisting the wrist to get that last weed or prune that last branch - Cushioned grips and tools with grip handles may prevent wrists from bending forward or sideways - Note that indentations in tool handles do not fit every hand - Tool handles can be enlarged by wrapping with electrical tape and/or foam padding - Some by-pass pruner models are easier on the wrist than others, but try before you buy - Wear gloves to protect the hand. Gloves can also protect and cushion joints. In colder weather, keep the finger joints warm by wearing gloves with foam padding or wear disposable gloves (latex or nitrile ) under gardening gloves When using long handled tools On shovels and spades - Wikipedia defines a spade (from the Old English