Taking away the stress
PRODUCT GUIDE
Don’t look now but in the garden shed things are changing.
Most gardeners have their favourite tools – the standard five being the garden fork, garden spade, garden hoe, garden rake and garden shears. But are they right for you and right for your health? It’s important to have the right tools but it’s also important to realise the wrong tool, wrong size, wrong weight can cause health problems.
And that’s where the change comes in. A new look style and feel of ergonomic garden tools are placing less stress on the gardener – and more on the tool.
Ergonomic garden tools were thoroughly researched and designed to offer relief to gardeners with special problems. Even though hand pain was preventing gardeners from pursuing the hobby they love, with ergonomic tools they were able to participate again. If you are taking your gardening seriously and getting out there every day then you will want to get the right tools.
But the appeal of the new tools is now being felt far beyond special needs.
These new generation tools are now being promoted not just for special needs but as an insurance policy to prevent everything from muscle strains to bad backs.
Many gardeners now believe that ergonomic garden tools are the best type of garden tools with good reason. They have benefits over other types of garden tools, which may make them more appealing to gardeners that like easy to maintain or organic gardening. Many of these possess the same basic qualities, so there is little difference between the different types of ergonomic garden tools available to choose from.
Ergonomic tools can stay in good condition and can be long lasting if maintained properly. Many of these garden tools come with warranties from the manufacturer that state that any garden tool that becomes damaged during normal use within a specific time period will be replaced at no cost to the gardener. There are a number of things that could void the warranty on the ergonomic garden tools though, such as walking on the garden tool, improper use by the gardener, or failing to maintain the garden tool properly.
Foam handles have become very popular on ergonomic garden tools, because they are easier to hold and put less pressure on sore hands. In addition, there are many tools
Here are some we like the look of:
1. Serious green thumbs know that hours spent gardening can lead to incredible stress on hands and wrists, a strain Radius Garden encourages large muscles to align along the radius bone, directing strength downward and putting the wrist in a neutral position which makes the most of the user’s power.
2. This ‘Gatorgrabber’ is from Brilliant Garden Products who have beautifully-designed ergonomic garden tools for the UK market importing and selling Radius Garden tools.
www.brilliantgardenproducts.co.uk
3. Spear and Jackson E-Series garden tools are available from good garden centres. They give the gardener a more efficient digging tool. The E-Series are ergonomically advanced gardening tools that have a ‘stirrup’ design that allows for a straighter, more upright position and reduced unbalancing when digging - reducing back strain.
with grips that are easier to hold more comfortably. By changing the traditional way of holding a tool by altering the grip, tools are becoming much easier to grip and use. A loss of hand strength can make real problems for sufferers. All of a sudden they are unable to do the things they’ve always done. Ergonomic garden tools with new-fashioned grips were developed to help them. By changing the way they grip a tool, they can find comfort and relief from pain.
There are even ergonomic garden tools being made that allow the user to sit and work. Made with longer handles and foam grips, they are easier to use than traditional tools. People who had given up gardening in despair because they just couldn’t stand the pain any longer are now resuming their activities due to ergonomic garden tools.
Gardeners can definitely benefit from tools designed to fit the work to the user instead of forcing the user to fit the work.
A new generation of ergonomic garden tools are placing less stress on the gardener - and more on the tool.
Country Gardener
15
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