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32 vtclxuc35tr iwyiisv zj economist sunlsuntribune saturday may 14 2005 jyosvft s before digging and planting avoid potential injury with a sensible fitness plan by chris traber staff writer w lawn mowers shears and rakes for the season few ready the most important tool their body hile gar deners take great pains to prepare people are rushing to the nursery to buy top soil fertilizer and flowers but they forget one thing said personal trainer john leonard owner of fit 4 real fitness in markham they havent done this for many months and theres a tremendous physi cal aspect to gardening its an intense activity into fit 4 real fitness presi- dent personal trainer john leonard provides the following warmup and stretching guide specifi- dally for gardeners- enjoy a low aerobic activity such as a brisk v walk around the block or five minutes on a tread- mill of exercise bike- mimic the activities you are aboutto perform youll need a kitchen chair face the seat of the chair away from -you- so diebackisfacingyou hold on to the top of the jseat back and do a squat- start with ypurjegs at hip width apart bend at the knees andlowerypur- the floor do riot exceed 90 degrees at the knees and hips v next come the lunges start by stepping forward with your right leg slowly loweryourleft knee to tlie ground with one hand on the chair for stability reach for the -floor- with your free hand as ifypure picking something up reverse the exercise per- form two sefs of 10tdl squats and lunges now youre ready to stretch reach out and place ydurhands on a wall bend forward so your shoulders are below your hands shift your hips backwards arid hold for 20 seconds to stretch the back and shoulders lie face down on the floor using- forearms pressupper body upward raising the chest while- keeping the hips- in con- tact with the floor hold for 20 to 30 seconds jt- sit on a chair with the right leg across the oppo site knee push down on the rigrit knee arid lean- forward until a stretch is felf in your hip hold arid repeat with the other leg stand with tlie legs wider than shoulder width apart raise your right arm and lean to the- left with out leaning forward or backward lean until a comfortable stretch is felt in your side hold and repeat on the other side lie onyourbackjpri the floor gently rotatejthe trunk and bent krieestq one side so thai knees are facirigeritirely to one side keep your shoul- dersjan the ground hold and repeat on other side chris fraber f- and while most folks would nt think of spending six hours skiing or golfing tlie first time out for the season thats exacdy what they do in their gardens i although gardening is a rather peaceful undertak ing it involves as many muscles as most sports it really becomes important to havesome kind of condi tioning program in place or gardeners can suffer major injuries in addition to a relatively simple training regiment to strengthen the body core loosen muscles and limber up limbs gardeners should exercise due diligence when in the yard proper body positioning well designed gardening gloves and tools along with frequent rest breaks are the key to healthy gardening mr leonard contends gardening is an activity that can cause muscle strain to the lower back shoulders knees and arms especially for those who are out of shape or dont move properly he said tending lawn and flower beds requires a lot of crouching bending reaching and lifting as such mr leonard recommends a warmup prior to any heavy work start with a fiveminute walk to unkink muscles and kick start circulation follow up by stretching all major muscle groups to help pre vent injury focus on the back neck hands and fin gers start with easy raking be aware of your posture and body mechanics he said move your feet instead of twisting at your waist when sweeping raking mulching or potting mr leonard said if you cant avoid twist ing tighten your stomach muscles in order to protect your back use your legs rather itial injury with a sensible fitne terfj jhbbeb y ov vj lat va staff photosjoerd witteveen york region fitness expertjohn leonard shows the proper stance to take while edging a gardenalthough gardening isa rather peaceful undertaking it involves as many muscles as most sports he said than your back when lifting bend your knees keep your back straight and hold the object close to your body to prevent unnecessaiy strain ensure you have gloves and the right equipment for the task use ergonqmically cor rect tools he said tools for weeding should have long handles and get yourself a potting bench to avoid bending sit on the ground to trowel and use a kneel pad to avoid putting pres sure oh the knees the canadian physio therapy association concurs see avoid page 33 1 3 i 1 i-