Sore Muscle Syndrome: How Early Spring Gardening Gets Us!

One of the most relevant aspects pertaining to the start of gardening season that we rarely discuss is "Sore Muscle Syndrome!"

We Should Know Better

As seasoned gardeners - we should know better! But those warm days in early spring call to us like sirens to sailors, and they know we won't stay indoors and safe on our sofas.

It happens when we least expect it, because we're not thinking about it at all.

When we're armed with a rake and shovel, donning a hoodie and beanie, oscillating between tool cold or too hot, we leap into garden work like a child into a ball pit.

Only we discover hours later after a warm shower, that every muscle in our neck, upper back, middle back, shoulders, and arms are so sore, that we cringe at the thought of pulling a shirt over our heads and desperately search for our button up flannel.

Slightly Dramatic

Perhaps I'm being a tad dramatic, but hopefully you'll get a laugh out of it, or it'll help you feel better about your own gardening physique and physical fortitude.

But it never fails that at some point in early March, I rush into gardening like it's the 40yd dash, only without stretching - OR - using sunscreen! The first gardening sunburn never ceases to evade me either but more on that later.

Treating Sore Muscles

As we know Advil, Tylenol, and the like will surely help alleviate pain from muscle soreness, but here are a few other remedies to try as well.

- ice (the cold will slow circulation which may help reduce swelling and soreness related to it; often used best within first hour of injury or gardening)

- heat (the heat increases circulation which may aid muscle recovery by relieving tight, sore muscles; often used for older injuries or pain)

- massage therapy (grab your friend or lover or pay for a professional massage)

- compression gear (learn more here)

- kinesiology tape (learn more here)

- lots of water before, during, and after

- essential oils (Young Living's Panaway, Young Living's Deep Relief roll on, Young Living's CBD Muscle Rub, Doterra's Deep Blue Rub

- muscle ointments (BioFreeze, Lidocaine, Aspercreme, or Tiger Balm)

Pain Soon Forgotten

Much like labor pains that are (more or less), soon forgotten by the joy that outweighs them, the early soreness of gardening season is soon forgotten by the joys and blessings that come from our garden in the many months to come.

Please share your best known remedies for early gardening muscle soreness, or any fun stories you have about this crazy month of March and early spring gardening.