Gear Up for Gardening

 

 

When it comes to staying safe when gardening, having the right clothing is just as important as having the right tools. With the right clothes you’ll not only stay comfortable but will be protected from minor injuries and mishaps too.

So before you start any garden project, whether large or small, take a moment to think about what you are wearing. Here are some clothing items you might want to invest in:

 

Hat
A good hat is a gardener’s friend. It will keep you warm in winter and protect you from sunburn during warmer months. Choose a hat that provides good protection without obstructing your view. You might want to avoid very large brims or tassels which could get caught on twigs and branches. When undertaking larger structural jobs in the garden, it’s wise to invest in a hardhat to protect you from falling debris.

 

Gloves
Whether you are weeding, digging or pruning, a pair of gardening gloves will protect your hands not only from the elements but from scratches and scrapes as well. And when handling plants, gloves will protect you from insect bites as well as the irritation and rashes that some plants can cause. It’s a good idea to have two pairs of gardening gloves – a thicker pair for heavy duty work and a thinner pair for when you need to be more nimble fingered – such as when handling seedlings.

 

Trousers
Trousers take a lot of wear and tear when gardening so you won’t want to wear your best pair when gardening. Good gardening trousers are made from material that is easy to move around in but that also dries quickly if it gets wet. You might want to add knee protectors if you spend a lot of time kneeling in the garden. And if the weather is particularly wet, you could also wear waterproofs over the top of your trousers to keep the moisture away from your skin.

 

Layers
It’s easy to get overheated when gardening. Even on a cool day you can soon build up a sweat once you get to work. It’s therefore a good idea to wear layers when gardening so that you can add or remove a layer as you get hotter or colder. You’ll find lightweight base layers in walking and outdoor shops which are specifically designed to move sweat away from your skin, keeping you comfortable.

 

Footwear
Think carefully about footwear, even if you are only planning to do some light gardening. Every year people sustain foot injuries caused by garden tools because they weren’t wearing the correct footwear. The ideal gardening shoes are robust, waterproof and breathable and will keep sweaty, soggy feet at bay.

Keep your gardening clothes clean and dry in between gardening sessions and your gear will serve you well for many years to come.

 

For more garden advice, visit: www.bbc.co.uk/gardening

 

Categories: garden, gardening, gardening gloves, gardening nbsp, nbsp, pair, Protect

How To Tell When You Need To Get New Running Shoes

Every runner should understand how important it is to keep their feet protected with high-quality running shoes in order to avoid injury. However, not every runner knows the signs that they need to pick up a new pair. These three tell-tale signs of wear are your cue to invest in a new pair of running shoes.

 

Track Your Mileage

Many runners track their mileage for personal reasons. Doing this can also help you know when it is time to replace your shoes. Most podiatrists recommend replacing running shoes every 400 to 600 miles, but this figure depends on a variety of different factors. According to Dr. Thomas Rambacher, every time you take a stride while running, the force is equal to three times that of your body weight. If your shoes are not absorbing the impact properly, you can experience foot, ankle, leg, and even hip injuries as a result. It is important to take your weight, stride, and speed into account, as well as the type of terrain you run on. A heavier person will naturally create more impact while running than a lighter individual. Thus, they would need to replace their shoes more frequently.

 

Inspect the Midsole

The midsole of a running shoe provides much-needed cushion to your feet, and protects the fragile bones in them from damage. If you take a look at the side of the midsole, you may notice a few wrinkles or lines, which are considered normal signs of wear. However, if there are many lines present, and overlapping ones, it is time to get new running shoes. Too many wrinkles and lines mean that your midsole is thoroughly worn and is no longer able to cushion your feet effectively.

 

Don’t Ignore Pain

Many runners ignore foot pain, assuming that it naturally occurs after a run. While this common belief does have some truth to it, your shoes also play a big role. If you are experiencing more discomfort than usual, your shoes may be the culprit. Try on different styles of running shoes, and compare the difference in how your feet feel to your old pair. If the support and level fo comfort is noticeable, it’s time to invest in a new pair of running shoes. A podiatrist can help you find the right type of shoes based on your arch, build, and other needs.

 

Every runner relies on their shoes to keep their feet protected. However, when your shoes are running low on life, you can be putting yourself at a higher risk of injury. Determine when you need to invest in new shoes with these strategies.

Categories: exercise, Feet, feet protected, fitness, pair, Running, running shoes, Shoes, time

What Everyone Ought to Know About Wearing High Heels

If you wear high heels, you probably do so with a slight guilty feeling, knowing that they are not exactly good for your health or wellbeing. But how bad are high heels for the wellness of your feet?

 

Inside your foot, there are hundreds of thousands of nerves, and also 28 bones (making up a whopping 13.5 percent of the bones in your whole body). These bones and nerves are really important as they hold you upright all day, from morning till night, and they take repetitive stress too, as people take on average 10,000 steps every day. Therefore, shoving them into uncomfortable shoes every day is hardly a good repayment for the service that they do. Around 90 percent of all women who wear high heels suffer from foot pain, fatigue and sore feet as a result.

 

In addition to this, high heels don’t give you proper foot posture, as many a podiatrist will tell you. When you wear a pair of high heels, the arch of your foot becomes higher than is natural, and yet at the same time the profile of the shoe itself is a flat one, that does not follow the natural curves of your foot. High heels can therefore be quite damaging, but there is a surprising addendum to this: small heels can actually be good for you.

 

Many people over-pronate, which means that their ankles and arches collapse inwardly on every step. Slipping on a pair of slight heels turns your ankles out slightly, counteracting this collapse. A small, stable pair of heels can actually help in this way, as well as taking the strain off overly tight calf muscles.

 

Every half inch of extra height that your heels add can actually but 25 percent more body weight onto the front of your foot, leading to tissue damage and pain.

Categories: foot, heels, high, high heels, nbsp, pair, wear high