More than a third of these believed that the best way to deal with back pain is to lie down and rest. This is in complete contradiction to medical advice, which is to take adequate pain relief and stay active. Six out of 10 of those who suffered from back pain said the problem was so bad that it had stopped them taking part in their normal leisure activities. The Gallup survey shows that many part-time gardeners are not aware of how to lift properly, how to avoid back strain and what to do if it occurs. Gardening can cause muscle strains and sprains, and lead to spasms in the back.
Younger people are also at risk of rupturing discs in their back by lifting heavy weights.
Dr Peter Skew, of the charity Back Care, said many people had been inspired to take up gardening after watching television programmes such as Ground Force. He said gardening was excellent exercise - provided people were sensible and took time to prepare properly. But you have to plan what you are going to do, and you have to pace yourself properly - don't try to do everything in one weekend. Dr Skew said it was important to do stretching exercises before gardening. He also suggested that new gardeners should do 30-40 sit ups every day for one to two weeks days before taking up the hobby.