Healthy Back Campaign V
Bremervorde (ots)
- Back pain from trimming the hedge doesn’t have to be the case: Gardening done correctly can strengthen a healthy back.
- Aids and ergonomic garden tools help hobby gardeners to pay attention to joint and back-friendly movements.
- Whether weeding, lawn care, or hedge trimming – the Aktion Gesunder Rücken e. V. has tips and checklists ready.
For many plant lovers, gardening is relaxing and exhausting at the same time: While spending time in nature is balm for the soul and relaxed, monotonous work when weeding or trimming hedges – possibly in a bent over or overhead position – often leads to back or neck problems neck pain. But such consequences can be avoided. When done correctly, gardening even strengthens your back. The independent association Aktion Gesunder Rücken (AGR) e. V. offers the right information.
Aching ankles, aching in the lower back, itching in the knees and a stiff neck: some hobby gardeners might think that certain pains are an inevitable part of good gardening or a weed-free lawn. But the opposite is the case: Gardening strengthens a healthy back – and is therefore the perfect workout in nature. “So that this is also the case for you, you should simply pay attention to a few things,” says AGR Managing Director Detlef Detjen.
Successful full-body training: tips for the gardening season
Anyone who enjoys working in the garden a lot should pay particular attention to movements that are easy on the joints and back, avoid monotonous movements – and work upright if possible. “In addition, the dose makes the poison. So take it easy and don’t do all the gardening in one go. And please don’t forget to chat with the neighbors. A raised bed can also help to relieve your back.” , says Detjen. If this is not possible, it often helps to work while squatting or kneeling. “It is important to avoid carrying heavy loads as much as possible,” says the back expert. Heavy loads should always be distributed. “You can simply use two smaller cans for watering, for example,” explains the AGR Managing Director. There are also tools for many jobs, such as weeding, lawn mowing and hedge trimming.
Good garden tools support lawn care and back fitness at the same time
Anyone who decides on a garden tool should pay attention to ergonomic handles and handles when buying it. Because aids of any kind should not be too heavy in the hand and should be adjustable to different hand positions or heights. The handles should also be made of non-slip material and the controls should be easy to reach in every position.
Lawn mowers and grass trimmers, for example: Heavy, poorly moving equipment puts unnecessary strain on the spine and joints. When buying, you should therefore also pay attention to the weight: “With a cutting width of up to 43 centimeters, the garden tools, including the battery, should weigh less than 15 kilos,” recommends Detjen and also refers to the AGR checklist (see text box). . For example, when carrying and steering the lawn mower, it is important that the weight is optimally distributed on the axles. Specially attached carrying handles also enable the lawn mower to be transported easily and without straining the back, and if the handles are also foldable, stowage is also made easier.
Other elements such as a central cutting height adjustment, a grass catcher box that can be easily attached and removed and a smoothly functioning height adjustment should be easy to use. Grass trimmers also often score with support wheels and a rotatable rotor head.
Back-friendly hedge trimmers rely on optimal handles
While lawn care tends to tempt you to bend down, cutting hedges usually requires a lot of overhead work. A heavy hedge trimmer puts a strain on your back and neck. It should therefore not weigh more than four kilograms. In addition to the weight, AGR has other tips and a checklist (see text box) for the electric garden helper. Because even with the hedge trimmer, in addition to a powerful motor, special attention should be paid to the handles: They should be made of non-slip materials – for example soft grip – and be ergonomically shaped.
“The positioning of the handles should enable a natural posture and offer changing holding options,” Detjen demands. When holding the front handle, the center of gravity must allow the scissors to balance horizontally. In addition, the handguard should be transparent. This is the only way to ensure a clear field of vision at work. So that the power cable does not get in the way when working, AGR recommends making sure that the power cable exits at the rear position of the handle on the device.
With the right knowledge and the right equipment for trimming hedges and lawn care, nothing stands in the way of a new gardening season and thus a new round of back fitness.
Info below www.agr-ev.de/garten
Back-friendly hedge trimmer checklist
- To relieve the muscles, the hedge trimmer must allow changing holding positions. The switches must be easy to operate in every grip position.
- The distance between the handles must facilitate natural handling. In addition, these should be ergonomically shaped and made of non-slip materials such as soft grip.
- When holding the front handle, the center of gravity must allow the scissors to balance horizontally.
- A transparent hand guard offers an optimal field of vision when the head and body are held upright.
- The hedge trimmer’s low weight (up to max. 4 kg with a cutting thickness of more than 30 mm) and a high weight-performance ratio (over 180 watts/kg) ensure that the device is easy to use.
Checklist for back-friendly lawn mowers
- The height adjustability of the bars creates the possibility of adapting to different body sizes. This ensures fatigue-free working in an upright position.
- The ergonomic shape and positioning of the handles prevent bending of the wrists when steering the mower.
- The simple operation of the switches and the possibility of assuming different hand positions also ensure joint-relieving handling.
- In addition, the lawn mower is very easy to transport, maneuver and store thanks to its low weight and even weight distribution.
About the Aktion Gesunder Rücken eV
The Aktion Gesunder Rücken eV (AGR) was founded in 1995 and is an independent association based in Bremervörde ( Lower Saxony). The most important goal is to promote back health. In addition, AGR awards the AGR seal of quality to particularly back-friendly products. The Healthy Back campaign also trains specialist dealers and therapists on the subject of ergonomics and back health and works closely with independent experts. The association bundles information from the medical environment that is helpful in the development of back-friendly products and thus promotes the direct transfer of knowledge between medicine and manufacturers. The association prepares current data and scientific findings for the consumer and supports research into the prevention of back pain. The AGR sees itself as an interface for information about the causes of pain and how to avoid it, as well as treatment options. Additional Information: www.agr-ev.de
The AGR seal of approval
The Aktion Gesunder Rücken eV has developed the AGR seal of approval “Tested & recommended” as a decision-making aid for consumers. The association only awards products that are classified as “back-friendly”. For this assessment, an independent testing committee – consisting of doctors and therapists from various disciplines – comes together and subjects a wide variety of products to strict test criteria. If the commission, as part of its multidisciplinary investigation, comes to the conclusion that the products have a back-friendly design, they are awarded the AGR seal of approval. It thus serves as an optimal guide for consumers when purchasing ergonomic everyday aids, such as office furniture, car seats or school satchels. The independence of the testing committee ensures that only products that make a positive contribution to consumers’ back health are awarded the prize. This approach convinced the “Label-online” portal of the federal association “Die Verbraucherinitiative e. V.”, which rated the seal of quality as “particularly recommendable”.
In January 2022, the AGR seal of quality, including the test process, was also awarded as an EU certification mark – an aspect that underlines the quality standards of the Healthy Back Campaign and shows that consumers can trust the seal of quality.
Additional Information: www.agr-ev.de/guetesiegel
Press contact:
Lara Meyer
Tel. +49 4761 – 926358315
E-Mail: [email protected]
Painted Kammann
Tel. +49 4761 – 926358318
E-Mail: [email protected]
Original content from: Aktion Gesunder Rücken e. V., transmitted by news aktuell