Begin your gardening session with a few stretches to warm up the muscles and joints you'll be using. This helps prevent injury and reduce soreness at the end of the day. Make sure the area you are working in is free of obstacles such as gardening tools, bags and seedling trays. This helps prevent slips and falls. Vary your activities so that you are not in the one position for more than 30 minutes. When doing tasks at ground level, like weeding or planting, kneel rather than bend. Where possible, keep one hand on the ground for support as you lean forward.

Work Safely

• Ensure heavy equipment and materials or items you use often are stored between waist and knee level, not overhead or below your knees
• Where possible, work at benches built to your waist height
• Clear the ground in front of the bench so you can stand close in
• Ensure your equipment is in good repair and of a size that feels comfortable for your own size and strength
• Use aids such as wheelbarrows and kneeling mats