3 simple warm-up exercises for Gardening

I hope everyone has been enjoying the sunny weather and has started getting excited about the upcoming summer. There have been many FB posts about people getting out and enjoying the sun already. This is fantastic and speaks to how active Yukoners are in general and it serves as a great kickstart to the upcoming summer and all the activities we are planning on engaging in over the course of the summer. One of the most important points to remember when gearing up for the summer is to consider how active (or inactive) you have been over the winter. You might be raring to go with getting the garden going but it you have been spending your time this winter watching Game of Thrones then it is probably a good idea at first to take it relatively easy the first couple of times you are out in the backyard. An even better idea is to help your body prepare before you head out there. Three simple exercises that will help to minimize the chances of hurting yourself are the following:

1. Repeated back bends. What this means is that you put your hands on your waist and bend as far backwards as possible without causing any discomfort. Do not hold this position but come back forward to neutral. Repeat 10x. This is a great way to prepare your body for being bent over at the waist while you pull the old weeds from last year. This is also a great activity to do periodically throughout the day while you work.
2. Thoracic twists. Hands clasped on rake, broom, or dowel of some kind. Hold the dowel to your chest with your arms just wider than shoulder width. Twist gently as far to one side as you can and then back the direction as far as you can the other way. Do this 10x each side.
3. Full crouch to stand. Crouch as far down as you can with your hands wrapped around the lower legs if possible and then stand up with your arms full pressed overhead. Do this 5x.

These exercises are only meant to get your body warmed up and if you are having any specific pains do not hesitate to see your physiotherapist.