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020 3026 8712

Opening times
  • Call Weekdays 9am - 7pm (Closed Between 1pm & 2pm)
  • Saturday Phone Lines 10am - 4pm
X

Spring Into Action – Gently!

Ah. The spring is coming, I can feel it in my bones. And what else is that I can feel? Oh yes, the coiled up dragon of pie-related lethargy and too many pints of Cooper’s Old Grungewater weighing me down. Hm.It’s been a cozy winter. If you are like me (and I strongly suggest you avoid that if you can) then it has been a good few months since you did any huge amount of work. Particularly  in the garden. But with the weather warming up, I hope my last blog may have tempted you into the garden. My pal Dick has definitely tried to persuade you, particularly if you’ve got a larger than average garden, into buying a new lawnmower or lawn tractor and has Holly talked about how to choose the right mower for your garden. Not at all like her, she is usually too involved with being flippant to bother with any advice so sensible. On Facebook, we even gave away a new MowDirect's Facebook winner of a new Mountfield lawnmowerMountfield lawnmower to Rose Taberer after she posted this picture of her current mower. (See Left) Yup. Let’s face it, we all love a bit of inactivity. The sofa, like a leather upholstered siren, often calls and tried to drag us onto the jagged rocks of the Jaffa Cake and the goggle box, particularly now the Six Nations is on. Unless of course you’re reading this after the 21st March… by which time we will probably have given away a record number of penalties and Rugby Union will have officially moved house to another country – pessimistic? Me?

So. We want you to find your phone and call your Get Up And Go, ask it where it Got up and Went,  and tell it to Get up and Come Back. OK? Yes. It’s time to get back on the horse, or if you haven’t got a horse, just get back in the garden. However, it’s all well and good us starting to drag you back to the garden, but we don’t want you to damage yourself when you pop on your favourite wellies and that disreputable old hat and head out for the first time.  The most common injuries caused in the garden are back and knee injuries, so here are a few suggestions for your back. Holly will talk about your knees another time… I’ve seen them and I’m steering clear.

So. Try these three simple steps. Make sure you do this in the privacy of your own home and double check that no-one is going to burst in and laugh at you as my occasional cleaning lady and major critic, Kristiana, did the other day. The sound of a young woman chortling so hard she can hardly raise her duster is enough to put anyone off their stretching. On reflection though, I should never have risked the Lycra body-suit. However…

1. Start with some gentle, but deep, breathing, in and out (always helps) and shake your hands, arms, legs and feet a little. Revolve your head gently around your shoulders in a circular motion a couple of times, and lift and revolve your shoulders back and forwards. This should loosen you up a bit.

2. Lie flat on the floor and gently pull your knees into your chest and then wrap your hands around them. Hold that position for a minute and then relax.  Repeat two more times.

3. Turn gently over and raise yourself onto all fours. (Hands and Knees,just in case) Look down at the floor and then gently raise your head until you are looking at the ceiling, staying in an all fours position. Don’t push this but just look as high and as far back as you can.

4. Standing up again, you can stretch your shoulders by holding a towel over your head. Bring the towel behind your head, with one hand and lower the other hand to below shoulder height. Hold and gently pull on the towel. Switch sides and repeat.

Of course, we have to point out that these are only suggestions and that you should definitely seek medical advice before taking any exercise if you are at all concerned. However, a little bit of exercise is probably what you needed.

Full... of course

Full… of course

Here’s a picture of me using my own personal weights. Seriously though, a bit of relaxing and stretching has certainly given me back a bit of impetus and I now feel I am making ready for the onslaught of Spring and the seasonal joy-and-painfest which is my garden. Enjoy yours.

Drew Hardy

 

 

 

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