Prevent Back Pain While Gardening Gardening can be an enjoyable and relaxing pastime, but it is surprisingly hard on your body. Because gardening involves a lot of bending, it requires you to put your back in awkward positions. This prolonged flexion of the spine Next, perform 3–6 standing backbends. Stand with your feet hip-distance apart. Place your hands on your lower back. your neck in a neutral position and your back as straight as possible, and use the other hand for gardening.
Stand tall and inhale, then exhale to gently arch your spine back. Go slow, and don’t push yourself to the point of discomfort. Backbends extend the spine, which is the opposite of forward bending. Once you begin gardening, work in stints of 20–30 minutes at a time. Every five minutes or so, stand up and perform a couple of backbends. Also, avoid standing and bending forward from the waist. Instead, set both knees on a pad, support yourself with one hand, keep
If your back pain persists or the pain progresses to aching, tingling, or numbness in the buttocks or legs, stop gardening immediately. Minor pain be can be alleviated by hot or cold compresses (use cold if there is swelling). You can also take ibuprofen or Tylenol, but always abide by dosage recommendations. If you continue to experience pain, call Flex Physical Therapy at 973-812-8000 to make an appointment.
places stress on your back that can strain ligaments, muscles, and even discs that cushion the vertebrae. Fortunately, there are precautions you can take to prevent low-back pain and long-term damage to your spine, and they begin before you even put on your gloves. Before you head outside, do some warmup stretches. First, lie down on your back on the floor. Bring your knees up to your chest, keeping your back flat on the ground. With your ankles together, lower both knees gently to one side, touching the floor if possible, then the other. This massages the muscles on either side of the spine and gently moves the joints in the lower back. Irish Soda Bread
5 -Minute Meditation It’s March, so we’re thinking about the luck of the Irish in honor of St Patrick’s Day! Enjoy this fun meditation designed to bring you some good luck. Let us know if you find that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow! To begin your meditation, breathe deeply and enter a relaxed state. Imagine that you are holding a box. In that box, place the things you want to manifest for yourself — goals, ideas, physical items. Now bring your awareness to your heart. Start to think about something that makes you feel good. Maybe it’s a person, a place, or a general feeling. Take five deep breaths, focusing on the warming energy that comes from that positive feeling. Now transfer that energy back to your box. Imagine those things in your box receiving that positive energy and manifesting themselves. Start to affirm those things in a positive light (e.g., “I will...” or “I can...”). Repeat those affirmations to yourself as you continue the breath for 3–5 more minutes. Leave your meditation believing that you can achieve those goals and they may just come true!
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1/2 teaspoon salt
Ingredients •
4 cups all-purpose flour
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1/2 cup margarine, softened
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4 tablespoons white sugar
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1 1/4 cups buttermilk, divided
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1 teaspoon baking soda
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1 egg
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1 tablespoon baking powder
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1/4 cup butter, melted
Instructions 1. Heat oven to 375 F. Lightly grease a large baking sheet. 2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and margarine. Stir in 1 cup of buttermilk and egg. 3. Place dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead slightly. Form dough into a round and place on prepared baking sheet. 4. In a small bowl, combine melted butter with 1/4 cup buttermilk; brush loaf with this mixture. Use a sharp knife to cut an X into the top of the loaf. 5. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, 45–50 minutes. You may continue to brush the loaf with the butter mixture while it bakes.
- Taryn Lagonigro
iris.mindandbody
www.flexptnj.com | 3
(Recipe inspired by allrecipes.com.)
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