My hands are a mess thanks to arthritis, and I have continual pain in the base of my thumb. My fingers are swollen, and I have lost a lot of grip strength. Things that were once easy to pick up are often dropped, and jars that need opening need a special tool. There were many days when I was cussing and fussing until I discovered that I could do the things I used to do with some modifications.
I needed a hobby that I could enjoy but didn’t require a lot of hand dexterity. That is when my thoughts turned to gardening. What a neat way to do some moderate exercise in the fresh air and sunshine!
I have to admit that I don’t have much gardening experience. I remember one time in college when I was staying in the dorm during the holiday break. You couldn’t stay in your own room, so I stayed in another dorm and was asked to water the plant.
I was doing well until I realized the pot had holes in it and water was dripping on the furniture. Oops! I cleaned it up the best I could, but it wasn’t a surprise that I was not asked to stay in that room again.
My mother enjoys planting tomatoes and often ends up with a bumper crop. She can spend an hour at the nursery selecting all the plants she wants to take home.
If you have been thinking about activities you can do that won’t set your joints on fire, gardening may be something you’d like to try your hand at.
Whether you are a seasoned gardener or just starting out, gardening is a great way to manage arthritis pain. It helps keep joints flexible, maintain range of motion, and keep your joints moving. This helps prevent muscles from weakening and becoming stiff.
Plant, Prune, and Protect Your Joints
Stretch Before You Start
Just like any other activity, some stretching beforehand will loosen up your joints. Keep your back stretched by placing your hands on your hips and leaning back. Another effective stretching exercise is to extend your arms straight out in front of you and reach forward as far as possible. I like squeezing a hand exercise ball.
Buy Arthritis Gardening Gloves
You want the hand protection of a gardening glove, but it also needs enough support so that you can wear it as long as you need to.
The palms and fingers of these gardening gloves are made of super fiber synthetic leather to ensure abrasion resistance and grip. The back of the hand and forearm are made of breathable and sweat-absorbent canvas material, which is colorfast, breathable, soft, and comfortable.
Pace Yourself
Break your gardening tasks down. Plant one day, weed another day, and water everything the next day after that. You could also do more than one thing on the same day, but make sure you are taking enough breaks so you’re not aggravating your arthritis pain.
Plant in Containers
If you’re gardening in a traditional flower bed, it takes more effort to keep everything free of weeds, and all the bending and stooping can make it too painful to continue.
If you enjoy growing vegetables like tomatoes, squash, peas, and eggplant, consider planting them in containers.
Use Ergonomic Gardening Tools
One of the most significant challenges in gardening is that the necessary tools are not always readily available. This ergonomic gardening tool set keeps you more organized, so you don’t have to waste precious energy collecting them one tool at a time.
They’re heavy-duty tools that won’t hurt your hands. This set includes a trowel, gloves, a digging fork, a shovel, a spade, and a weeder. There is even room for a spray bottle. I like the gardening bag that comes with this set, and it has all the pockets for easy storage.
Final Thoughts
It’s no fun to suffer from arthritis pain, and you may feel tempted to sit on the sidelines of life. You can still enjoy the things you like, but in a different way. Give gardening a try and enjoy exercising in the fresh air and sunshine.
