| |
Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
 | |
|
| Observing body position of older adults while gardening for health benefits and risks | | Author(s) | Sin-Ae Park, Candice A Shoemaker |
| Journal title | Activities, Adaptation & Aging, vol 33, no 1, 2009 |
| Pages | pp 31-38 |
| Source | http://www.tandfonline.com |
| Keywords | Gardening ; Exercise ; Musculoskeletal diseases ; Pain ; Social surveys ; United States of America. |
| Annotation | Gardening is a moderate intensity physical activity for older adults. Health benefits are possible, however body positions whilst gardening, such as stooping, kneeling and squatting may be uncomfortable. The purpose of this study was to characterize both the type of gardening tasks done by older adults and their body positions while performing the tasks, so that safe and effective gardening programmes for older adults could be designed. In this study, 14 older gardeners in Manhattan, Kansas were observed on two separate occasions, and the types of gardening tasks and body positions used during gardening were recorded. Bodily pain during gardening by the older gardeners was self-reported. Seventeen different garden tasks were observed. While conducting these tasks, six body positions were used by 90% of the subjects: gripping, bending, walking, lifting, stretching and standing. Ten different bodily pains were reported with lower back pain reported the most of all. These results show that older gardeners use body positions during gardening that can provide both health benefits and risks. Biomechanical characterization of gardening through kinematics and kinetics is needed. (KJ/RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-090806213 A |
| Classmark | HSG: CEA: CL: CT7: 3F: 7T |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
|
| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
| |
|