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Ergonomic Tools That Can Ease Gardening Pains

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Senior woman gardeningGardening is a favorite outdoor activity for millions of Americans, but it can be tough on the body. Garden work often requires a lot of repetitive stooping, squatting, kneeling, gripping and lifting, which can lead to back and knee pain, carpal tunnel syndrome and various other injuries.

To help make your gardening chores a little easer is a slew of new and improved gardening gear that's lightweight, comfortable to use, and ergonomically designed to help protect your body from the physical strains of gardening. Here are several that can help.

Nitrile gardening glovesGloves: There are a number of specially designed gloves that can improve your grip and protect your hands while you work. Two of the best are the "Atlas Nitrile Touch Garden Gloves" (available at amazon.com for under $6), which are coated with a flexible synthetic rubber. And the "ReliefGrip Gardening" gloves (bionicgloves.com, $35), that have extra padding in the palm and finger joints that can improve grip, and cause fewer calluses.

Digging Tools: There are ergonomic tools that can help protect your wrists by reducing the bending and twisting wrist movement that often comes with digging and weeding.

Radius Garden toolsSome good options include Radius Garden tools, which make a variety of curved-handle hand tools (scooper, weeder, transplanter, cultivator and trowel) and shovels that run between $10 and $50. And Corona tools, which makes the ComfortGEL and eGrip hand garden tools.

Another excellent product is the "Cobrahead Weeder and Cultivator", an all-purpose digging and weeding tool that's available in a short handle version for close up work for $25; and a long handle for standing work for $60.

Knee and Back Aids: Kneepads and garden seats can also protect your knees and save your back when working close to the ground. Some popular products GardenEase Kneelersold today through the Gardener's Supply Company – a leading developer and manufacturer of innovative garden equipment – are the "GardenEase Kneeler" ($70), which is a kneeling pad with support handles; the "Garden Kneeler" ($35) that's a kneepad/garden bench combo; and the "Deluxe Tractor Scoot with Bucket Basket," which is a height-adjustable, swivel garden seat on wheels ($90).

Fiskars PowerGear product linePruning Tools: Fiskars makes some of the finest ergonomic pruning tools that have also earned the Arthritis Foundation's Ease of Use Commendation, because of their patented PowerGear mechanisms that increases leverage to make cutting three times easier than traditional pruners. The Fiskars PowerGear Hand Pruners, Loppers and Hedge Shears all run between $25 and $48.

Bahco and Corona also make a nice line of ergonomic pruning tools and handsaws that you can see at bahcostore.com or coronatoolsusa.com.

Watering: To help make your watering chores a little easier, there are lightweight garden hoses; soaker or drip hoses that can be snaked throughout the garden; and hose chests that can automatically rewind themselves.

Some good companies that make these products include Water Right Inc., which makes a variety of super lightweight garden and coil hoses. The DIG Corp., which makes convenient drip irrigation kits and micro sprinkler kits. And Suncast, the leading maker of self-winding hose reels, and hose carts.

Container Gardening: Raised garden beds, trellises, and container gardening is also an easier way to grow plants and flowers because it brings the garden to you, eliminating most stooping, squatting and kneeling. The Gardener's Supply Company offers a wide range of raised beds and garden containers at prices ranging anywhere between $10 up to $350.
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