Related topics: •  Arthritis Center •  Arthritis Tips, Part I •  Arthritis Tips, Part III

Having arthritis doesn't always mean you have to stop growing tomatoes and let the weeds take over your petunias. With a little planning and a few special tools, you can continue to dig, weed, plant, and water as much as you want. Gardening is also good exercise. According to the Arthritis Foundation, the movements you make when weeding and planting can reduce joint pain and stiffness, and even increase flexibility.

•Don't squat when you can scoot. Many garden centers sell wheeled stools you can use to maneuver around the yard while you're weeding or planting. If you can't find a stool with wheels, an overturned crate or sturdy bucket makes a handy movable seat. Some nurseries sell a plastic top that fits over a bucket, allowing you to have a seat after moving your supplies.

•Use ergonomic tools to weed and dig. Nurseries now sell lines of tools with soft grips that keep your hands and back from tiring as you garden. If you don't want to buy all new tools, wrap the handles of your current garden tools with layers of electrical tape or foam padding so they'll be easier to grip.

•Use a wagon or cart to move bags of soil or fertilizer around the yard. (Better still, ask someone to help you move them.)

•Consider planting a garden in pots or containers. You can grow most vegetables and flowers this way, and keeping the plants on a table or steps will make it easier to tend them.

•For spring planting, try using seed tapes -- strips of evenly spaced seeds you just place on the ground. These are easier to handle than individual seeds, and you don't have to keep bending down to plant them.

•Choose plants that don't require much care. To cut down on yearly planting chores, plant perennials instead of annuals wherever you can, and choose plants that don't need much maintenance.

You may also want to tend your garden with a friend or two. Just as our ancestors used to have neighbors over for planting and harvesting, you can create your own version of a community garden -- and have a lot of fun besides.

-- Nancy Montgomery is an associate editor at Consumer Health Interactive.

Part III: How to ease the pain of keyboard work

References

Last updated April 29, 2009
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