Ergonomic Garden Tools For Enjoyment And Safety

Guest Post by Rich Brinkley

yard safety It’s no secret that a garden takes a lot of time and effort. At the end of the day you want to sit back and look at how beautiful your garden is and look at how your hard work paid off, not laying in bed sore and reaching for the pain killers. The best option for longevity and safety while gardening is using ergonomically designed garden tools.

Ergonomically designed tools are specifically designed to distribute pressure in natural patterns which reduces the amount of pressure applied to one specific area. Not only does an ergonomic tool design distribute pressures, but many designs aim at keeping the hands and feet in the most natural position and form as possible. Up to this point, the idea of ergonomic tools sounds great, but why don’t more people have them?

The fact is many stores, even the ones that have designated home and garden sections, simply do not carry ergonomic gardening tools. Sure they may sell a small hand shovel with a “sponge” grip, but that’s the most basic form of ergonomics and they really aren’t that durable.

I can’t quite tell you the reason why many stores sell the “basic” ergonomic designs or the standard non-ergo designs and not the tools that have made a name for themselves and are proven to enhance your gardening pleasure. Perhaps profits are the bottom line. In any event, your best bet at finding the top of the line ergo designs that have millions of dollars of research into them is online.

Ergonomics For Specific Conditions

There has been an influx of ergonomically designed tools as of late for people who have specific health concerns such as a bad back, arthritis, bad knees and other ailments. The truth is, these tools may cost a bit more (we aren’t talking big bucks here), but they really are worth the investment.

Tools For Gardeners With Arthritis

back pain arthritis Gardeners who have severe arthritis can actually get tools that are designed to fit into a special holder that allows the user to use their whole arm and shoulder to move the tool, rather than just the wrist alone.

An automatic hose reel is by far one of the best options for gardeners with arthritis. Winding up a hose can be quite hard on the hands and arms, especially when you have to deal with kinking and coiling the garden hose up to but back into storage. Automatic hose reels are either water or electricity powered. Many of the electric models feature a foot pedal in which you simply press down on with your foot and the hose automatically rewinds.

One product I had seen on the internet just a few days ago was a pair of garden sheers. The main change on them from standard grass sheers is that the handles are extra long. This is great for people who may have knee or back problems and can’t really bend down. The handles are long enough so that you can actually stay in the upright position and do all of your sheering work!

If you have chronic pain or another type of ailment such as arthritis, back pain or knee pain, you should really look into getting the tools that will help you garden without pain. It is a lot easier to find these specialized ergonomic tools on the internet rather than in the corner home department store.