Digging around in the dirt: gardening is good exercise for arthritic hands

Provided by: Canadian Press
Written by: LORRAYNE ANTHONY
Apr. 29, 2006

(CP) - Bev Clay loves gardening and she wasn't about to give it up just because she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.

"My doctor said, 'Keep moving. Don't sit still.' And he is absolutely right," said Clay, who up until four years ago ran a 16-hectare nursery in Langley, B.C., with her husband. Now in retirement they keep busy growing half a hectare's worth of rhododendrons, magnolias and maples.

"I think it's important to keep your hands busy so they don't get stiff."

For a long time doctors told patients to curb their activities when diagnosed with an ailment such as arthritis. And many folks, even those passionate about gardening, simply refrained from digging in the dirt.

But now many doctors agree that physical activity - including gardening - helps those suffering from arthritis.

Dr. Rick Adachi, a rheumatologist at St. Joseph's Hospital in Hamilton, Ont., believes the old prescription of rest and relaxation did a disservice to patients.

"You start off (your career) and tell people if it hurts, don't do it. That's probably true for acute pain. But if you've got chronic pain, life shouldn't stop."

His 25 years of practising medicine and watching his grandmother garden until she was 92, made him realize that if a person has an activity they enjoy, they should be encouraged to continue.

Even with severe forms of arthritis, Adachi recommends exercises people enjoy doing because this ensures they stay active.

"If you like gardening ... then you should do it," he said from his office. "Do it wisely - so you shouldn't garden for 12 hours a day, but to go at it for short periods of time is really quite reasonable."

"You don't have to plant all the vegetables in one day - plant them over the course of a week."

Often arthritis is accompanied by inactivity and weight gain. This means people who suffer from arthritis are more susceptible to high cholesterol, cardiac risk and diabetes.

Exercise helps control weight and stress and also improves reflexes and flexibility, Dr. Vivian Bykerk, director of the early arthritis program at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto said in an interview. She prescribes physical activity for most of her patients.

Lorna Vanderhaeghe outlines ways to make gardening easier for those with arthritis in her book, Get a Grip on Arthritis. In addition to taking it slow, she suggests:

-Consulting your physician or occupational therapist as they may have suggestions on the types of tools to use or exercises.

-Planning to garden during the times of day when you feel best. For example, wait until afternoon if you have morning stiffness.

-Warming up your joints and muscles with a brief walk or some stretching before you begin gardening.

-Taking the time to plan the garden near a water source so you don't have to haul heavy hoses out each day.

-Using a rake or hoe instead of spending long periods of time on your knees.

-Planting shrubs or perennials that bloom every year so you don't have to replant each time.

-Asking your garden centre or nursery about plants that require little care, such as ones that don't need regular pruning.

In B.C., Clay leaves the digging and heavy lifting to her husband. She focuses on the potting. He brings a wheelbarrow full of dirt and parks it beside her so she - either sitting or standing - can pot the plants.

"I'd have an awful time if I couldn't (garden)," she said, adding that as long as she can manage a trowel, she'll keep at it.

Not only does Clay help with the couple's small gardening business, she helps with the landscaping - weeding and planting flowerbeds - at her local church. She even follows her doctor's recommendation that she swim to stay active.

Adachi thinks that pastimes such as gardening do more than work exercise into a person's life.

"Over the long haul I think it does a lot more for your overall sense of well being than sitting around in the house being depressed ... being bored stuck in front of a TV."

View more heart health news