Park Seed Garden Journal

I spend a great deal of time in the garden, and one side effect of this is a great deal of soreness.  No amount of exercise can prepare you for Spring gardening.  However, a little bit of stretching and warming up before and after your gardening day can make a huge difference in just how sore you are the next day.  It is, of course, important to consult experts (which I am certainly not) before doing any exercise routine, including stretches, but I’ve found that just stretching out a couple of muscle groups in pretty standard ways makes all the difference in the world.  With all stretching,  you want to move slowly and not push your body.  If it hurts, you’re going too far.  Hold each stretch for about 10 seconds.  I start with my legs, doing calf stretches on the edge of a stair one leg at a time (don’t put your weight on the calf you’re stretching, as that can easily lead to a pulled or strained muscle).  I also stretch my hamstrings and lower back with toe-touches, first with my feet together and knees slightly bent, then with my feet just wider than shoulder-width apart.  Stretch your thigh muscles by grabbing one foot at a time and pulling it slowly up behind you toward your rear.  Finally, stretch out your midsection and lower back by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and arms straight out to the sides and twisting yourself lightly to each side.  With this light stretching and warm-up, you should prevent a lot of muscle soreness and fatigue from a long day in the garden.