Look After Your Health
Gardening as Safe Physical Activity
Amongst the many pleasures and benefits of gardening, it helps you to keep fit. The physical activities involved provide fitness exercise for most of your body. In addition, regular exercise is likely to improve your general level of health.
- If you haven't been physically active for some time, you need to start slowly, with just a few activities for short periods of time. Over the days and weeks you can build up your fitness level with additional and more strenuous activities.
- If you have been suffering from some illness, it may be advisable to consult your physician before embarking on any form of exercise.
- There's a lot of work to be done in the garden and it varies according to the seasons. Try to plan you work to include plenty of variety, which will prevent boredom and generally improve all round fitness.
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Know Your Limitations
If you have any form of incapacity or chronic illness, it is important that you are aware of your capabilities and avoid doing anything that might cause injury to you or anyone else.
- If you are taking medication that impairs your concentration, makes you feel drowsy or affects your reaction time, you need to avoid activities that might become more dangerous because of your condition, such as working with powered machinery or working at height. Either postpone such tasks until you are able to undertake them safely or hire someone else to do them.
- Some conditions, such as arthritis, may mean that some tasks are more difficult. However, gardening tools are available that are designed to help people with these conditions. Mild exercise can often help to relieve the stiffness and pain associated with some forms of arthritis, though it is wise to consult your physical about it first.
- Avoid situations where you need to carry on with some strenuous activity after your own body is telling you that it is fatigued. Try to plan major projects as smaller, self-contained tasks so that you are able to take a break without leaving behind a potentially dangerous situation.
Staying Safe in the Sun
Any form of energetic exercise carries risks when you are exposed to the sun's radiation or high heat levels for extended periods. When gardening, it is easy to lose track of time and not be aware of the effects of the sun.
- Regularly drink copious amounts of water to replace fluid lost through perspiration. This is much better than waiting until you feel thirsty.
- Water is always the drink of preference. Drinks that contain alcohol or caffeine can actually makes things worse by causing you to lose even more fluid.
- Take regular breaks to give your body the chance to restore its proper balance. Frequent, short breaks are much better than working until you feel tired and have to take a break.
- If you start to feel dizzy, have a headache or become slightly confused, this can be an indication of heat-related illness and you should stop work immediately. If you don _ t recover with rest fairly quickly, seek professional medical advice.
- People who are particularly at risk when working (or playing) in the sun are the elderly and young children. Consequently, you should be watching out for them as well as yourself.