My knees have just about had it as far as gardening or seriously cleaning any type of floor. What does everybody do to cut down on the strain? Do you kneel on something, or squat, or use a short stool? TIA Mindy
Get some knee pads, such as these:
http://www.duluthtrad> My knees have just about had it as far as gardening or seriously
Most any brand of knee pad should do. I personally use general contractor gel filled pads. I suggest that you put on the pads and try them out before you buy them. Wearing a ill fitting pair of pads is almost worse than not wearing pads at all. Good luck.
I get the double whammy - both knees and back are shot. I use knee pads (construction type) and limit the up and down movement by "walking" on my knees, or I use a kneeler-stool that gives me something to push off to stand up. Sometimes just doing my weeding from a sitting position works better and the stool is good for that. Karen
If it's a solid, even surface, knee pads can help. But nothing beats sitting down. If you get on your knees, they may not be passing the weight through to your lower legs, but they're still supporting your weight. If you still have enough flexibility, you may be able to lean back far enough for your butt to rest on your heals, but that stretch is something you'll feel the next day!
Inside I find chairs, foot stools, coffee tables... anything near. The rest of the time I find ways to avoid too much bending. You won't see me scrubbing a whole room's floor by hand. I'll use a mop on a handle. I'll only get down for a very small section, like a particular stain.
Outside I have a couple of different stools on wheels. But I still find myself not doing things because the stool is too far away. I'm considering getting one of those milking stools you strap on your own butt. You essentially have a seat with a pole, and a spring at the bottom of the pole. Your weight is supported by the pole, and your knees and legs only provide stability. In theory. Like I said, I'm considering getting one. I don't have any actual experience with one yet.
Happens to all (or most) of us sooner or later.
Two points:
1) Find a nice retired gent to build you an 18" cube plywood box with cut-outs for your hands to grab it by. Only 5 sides of course. Then, sit, lift a bit, grab, and scoot sideways. In that case, if you are like me and it is past a certain point where they start hurting, the two of you could measure how far you can lower your bum without your knees hurting and then custom build it to just the right height.But that means your back hurts less than your knees which isn't always true for me. In that case:
2) Start raising your beds -- seriously. I even have an old gardening book around here that was showing a food-type gardening method someone paid for when she was just too old to bend over at all but refused to give up her garden: 4' wide by x' long by 3' high and they were BRICKED up that high! Even in black and white it was a very impressive looking garden. They noted the same idea could apply to someone in a wheel chair, too...just not the full 4' wide if the person couldn't bend over that far. I'm not that bad off, but I do have most of my bigger pots raised one way or other (on a bench, shelf or even just an old cinder block).Course I had a great-aunt that had one knee replaced probably 15 years ago. She was so happy that it quit hurting she got the other one done, too :>)
John
Go to my gardening tools page at . Scroll down a little bit more than half-way to "step".
I found an old 2 X 6. I cut into four pieces, each a little over a foot long. I then nailed them together to make a rectangle.
I sit on it. Because it rests on a piece of wood about 2 X 6 X 14", rather than legs, it does not sink into soft soil. It's easy to pick up and move.
vince norris
I use a pair of knee pads when laying brick, stone, or floor installations. I had a knee replacement 5 years ago. It makes a big difference.
I use a kneeler - does help a lot. Staying limber, helps too, striding for
10 minutes helps me quite a bit (known as carrying the tools and buckets to the weeds).Cheryl
: My knees have just about had it as far as gardening or seriously : cleaning any type of floor. What does everybody do to cut down on the : strain? Do you kneel on something, or squat, or use a short stool? : TIA : Mindy
I like to use one of those 12" plastic milk carton crates. Make perfect size to sit on to work on low stuff, and you can flip them over and carry your stuff in them. Could probably tie a tool box to the side.
Join the club. I bend from the waist to do all my weeding and planting. I can't sit on the ground because it is too hard to get down and close to impossible to get up. I try to do weeding 20 minutes at a time and not let it get ahead of me. This past year I hired a lady to do floors for me and a young man to plant bulbs. (Had a new garden and a lot of bulbs.) Now I have to mark a quilt so I plan on getting out the knee pads. It will take me all day. Marilyn in Ohio
Have had bad knees since the days of being in the Army, what I use? ASPRIN.
There are a number of long handled tools that are listed on the World of Weeds website at
About 2 years ago, I bought knee pads from Lowes. Now I can stay on my knees for quite a long time. I use them indoors and outdoors. They easily attach to my legs with Velcro straps. Occasionally I have to adjust them, but in general they stay in place. They are washable. They show no sign of wearing out. What could be better?
my first lesson as a professional gardener (longer ago than i care t remember) was never never kneel
-- Eyebright
snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com wrote in news:1105135926.280222.317140 @c13g2000cwb.googlegroups.com:
I use the gel filled knee pads and a short stool. Actually an old wood stool and my husband shortened the legs for me. It works pretty well and has a small back, which I like.
Why are you getting on your hands and knees to clean your floors? That's just plain crazy. Get one of those swifer mops and a robot roomba vacuum.
Take care of yourself.
I may only be 39, but my poor old arthritic knees are about 70, LOL! I use a short stool (a step stool) when I can, but when the ground is too soft and mushy for a stool, I use knee pads:) Both work well:)
Angie
Being 19 again?
>I tried stools, the legs sink into the ground, so that didn't work; I used the little plastic wagon called "Grasshopper" that worked till I got so bad I couldn't get up from it; tried a "Radio Flier" wagon to sit on and roll myself along the garden path, weeding or what ever; and finally tried a 5 gallon plastic paint bucket with a lid and a bail that allows me to cary it around where I need it. It gets a bit tiresome leening over my fat belly too long, so I do a little, then change jobs for a few minutes then come back and do some more. works pretty good.!
I can't use knee pads as I can't get up without help. I also use those crutches that have a fore-arm band so that I can carry it with me but still use my hands. I really don't need them to walk all that bad, but it helps stabilize me going up and down the terraces and rough areas. Hope this helps. leo/lee
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.