I am the first to admit that I am guilty of being a “weekend warrior”.  I work outside in my garden during the weekend and my days off.   Then for the next two or three days I am stiff and my muscles are sore.  We should all take the time to protect our bodies while we are taking care of our gardens.  To avoid injury and being stiff and sore take a few minutes and do some basic stretching exercises to warm your body up before and after working in the garden.  I now do this and it certainly helps.

Wear a hat, gloves, and use a sunscreen with at least a rating of 30 spf when working in the sun.  If you are comfortable working in lightweight long sleeve shirts and long pants they provide excellent protection from the sun.  I prefer gardening gloves that have a Velcro closing at the wrist.  They keep debris and soil out and my hands much cleaner.  Wear boots or enclosed shoes to adequately protect your feet when performing heavy chores such as digging, planting, or tilling.  

Many gardeners have carpel tunnel syndrome.  There are now ergonomic tools available which will reduce the stress and strain caused from repetitious gardening chores.  Avoid doing the same chore or motion for extended periods of time.  Do one job for 15-20 minutes and then rotate to another job that requires a different motion.

Be sure to do a “tick check” after working in the garden if you live where ticks are commonly found.  If you find a tick attached, use a pair of tweezers to remove it.  Get as close to the skin as you can and gently pull backwards to remove the tick.  They actually have small barbs that extend and hold them on their hosts, so pulling them out too quickly will break those parts off in the skin and cause the site to take longer to heal.  Once you have removed the tick, wash the area with soap and water and treat with a topical antibiotic ointment.