Health News Share Email Print Garden safety Reviewed 2/2/2024 Garden safety Gardening is great! It can burn calories, strengthen muscles and relieve stress. But before you get digging in the dirt, make sure to put safety in your garden toolkit. Scroll on to find out how. CHOOSE THE RIGHT CLOTHES The right gear includes: Sturdy, closed-toe footwear to protect your feet from thorny twigs, bug bites and sharp tools. Long-sleeved shirts and long pants to protect yourself from sun exposure. Gloves to guard your hands from germs, cuts, punctures and irritation. A wide-brimmed hat to shade your face and neck. USE CAUTION WITH CHEMICALS Read the warning labels and instructions before using any pesticides or herbicides. PRACTICE GOOD POSTURE Switch tasks about every 15 minutes to prevent muscle overuse. Avoid awkward twisting and stretching, which can lead to muscle and back problems. BE SAFE WITH TOOLS Select tools that are a good match for your strength, size and ability. Put tools in their place when not in use. Don’t place them on the ground where they can be stepped on. STAY COOL AND HYDRATED Stay hydrated, and always keep water nearby. On hot days, store your water in the shade and take frequent rest-and-refresh breaks. PRACTICE SUN SAFETY These tips can help you avoid sunburn. LEARN MORE Sources American Academy of Dermatology. "How to Prevent Skin Problems While Gardening." https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/skin-care-secrets/routine/prevent-skin-problems-gardening. American Academy of Pediatrics. "Playing Outside in the Yard: 8 Tips to Keep it Fun & Safe for Kids." https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-home/Pages/Backyard-Safety.aspx. American Society for Surgery of the Hand. "Gardening Safety." https://www.assh.org/handcare/safety/gardening#google_vignette. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Warning Signs and Symptoms of Heat-Related Illness." https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/warning.html. The Foundation for Fresh Produce. "About the Buzz: Gardening Can Improve Your Health?" https://www.fruitsandveggies.org/stories/atb-for-032311. Skin Cancer Foundation. "All About Sunscreen." https://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-prevention/sun-protection/sunscreen/. Virginia Cooperative Extension. "Hand Tools Safety: Lawn Care Training Guide Hand Tool Care and Safe Use." https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/content/pubs_ext_vt_edu/en/BSE/BSE-51/BSE-51.html. Related stories Health information main Health tools go Select a health topic ADHD Aging Alcohol use disorder Allergies Alternative medicine Alzheimer's disease Arthritis Asthma Babies Backs Bladder Bones Brain Breast cancer Cancer Cancer prevention Caregiving Cervical cancer Children and parenting Cholesterol Colds Colorectal cancer Coronavirus Dental care Depression Diabetes Disaster preparedness Down syndrome Ears Eating disorders Emergencies End of life/Palliative care Environmental health Epilepsy Eyes Fall prevention Family and relationships Feet Fitness and exercise Flu Food safety Hair Headache Health assessments Health calculators Healthcare Heart attack Heart health Hepatitis Hernia High blood pressure Hips HIV/AIDS Holiday health Hormones Imaging Incontinence Joints Kidneys Knees Leukemia Liver Lung cancer Lungs Medications Men's health Menopause Mental health Multiple sclerosis Nails Nose Nutrition Obesity Oral cancer Ovaries Pain Parkinson's disease Pets Pneumonia Pregnancy Prostate cancer Rehabilitation Reproductive health Safety School health Sexuality Sexually transmitted infections Skin Skin cancer Sleep Smoking Sports injuries Stomach pain Stress and anxiety Stroke Substance use disorder Summer safety Surgery Teen health Throat Thyroid Travel Vaccines Vascular health Violence Vitamins and supplements Weight management Winter health Women's health Workplace health Wound care i Providers Emergency Medicine RSS If you have questions or comments, please contact Randolph Health. Problems reading or opening a page? Legal restrictions and terms of use applicable to this site.