DIG FOR HEALTH

A fellow allotmenteer once told me it was warm enough to plant seeds in spring if you could sit comfortably on the soil with a bare bottom. To the no-doubt relief of my neighbours, I’ve never carried out this particular test. But I do know that, at this busy time of year in the garden, your body benefits from warming up just as much as the soil. Some simple stretches and a brisk lap of your plot before you start can help prevent the muscle injuries that so often follow digging over the vegetable patch. Similarly, good gardening techniques are crucial. Researchers at Coventry University found that a bad digging posture can as much as double the load on joints. Good practice, they say, involves minimal back bend and instead larger bends at the knee – and keep movements regular and repetitive rather than erratic.