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Healthy and safe tips while you begin garden planning
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Gardening can be a great way to relieve stress, enjoy the outdoors and enhance your diet with fresh fruits and vegetables, unless flowers are more your speed and in that case, the interior and exterior of your home will look amazing.
But before you grab your shovel and head outdoors, gardening may pose risks to both your health and in some cases, your safety. From the amateur in us to the most experienced green thumb, here are a few tips to keep your home healthy and take heed of some important safety tips from Ashley Baroff-Rufo, M.D., Mercy Health Primary Care Doctor.
To stay safe while gardening, Dr. Baroff-Rufo offers the following advice:
We’ve got your back
To prevent any possible back injury, use proper technique when lifting heavy bags of mulch or soil:
• Keep your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Bend your knees and keep your back straight.
• Lift with your legs and keep the bag close.
• If it’s too heavy, ask for help.
Dress the part
• Safety goggles or sunglasses, sturdy shoes, long pants and gloves should be part of your attire when working with machinery or chemicals.
Know your tools
• Before beginning, make sure you have the right tool for the task, that it is the right sized tool for you and that any safety devices are in place.
Big Floppy Hats
• Maybe not they don’t need to be that big, but you will lower your risk for sunburn and skin damage by wearing a wide-brimmed hat, sun glasses and sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher.
Don’t Overheat
• Prevent overheating by working in the garden early in the morning or late in the day and taking frequent breaks in the shade.
Water just isn’t for the plants
• When working in high temperatures drink plenty of water, avoid alcoholic or sugary beverages, and take frequent breaks to avoid heat-related illnesses.
Don’t overdo it
• To prevent overuse injuries and pulled muscles, avoid long gardening sessions, warm up before gardening with slow, sustained stretches, and rotate your tasks to avoid repetitive movements. For example, after 15 minutes of raking, swap to weeding for a while.
Look out for your little helpers
• While gardening can be a great family activity, make sure you keep children safe by keeping them clear while you are operating equipment such as lawn mowers or trimmers.
• Not allowing them to sit on the back of a ride-on mower.
• Storing garden chemicals such as weed killer on high shelves behind locked doors.
• Ensuring they are also dressed properly and well hydrated.
When incidents do happen, be sure to seek the necessary medical attention or call 911. Mercy Health provides access to four emergency rooms as well as urgent and walk-in care to ensure you can continue to enjoy the most this summer has to offer.
To learn more about Mercy Health’s locations or schedule an appointment with a providers such as Dr. Baroff-Rufo, visit www.mercy.com. Be sure to also follow Mercy Health on its lifestyle blog at www.blog.mercy.com for healthy recipes, as well as tips and tricks to keep you and your family healthy.