May is a busy gardening month as we prepare our gardens for a new season. But what about ourselves? How we get ready to garden is just as important. This week on Down The Garden Path, we're joined by chiropractor Dr. Geoff Smith with the tips and tricks we need to keep ourselves safe, healthy, and happy while working in our gardens.

Dr. Geoff Smith is a chiropractor with 20 years of experience. He is the proud owner of Oshawa South Chiropractic Clinic and a team member at the Clarington Rehabilitation Clinic. Gardening injuries have been a common source of patients during his years of practice. He enjoys helping people keep up with their gardening adventures. Geoff's passions lay in the world of health and fitness. He is an avid trail runner and exercise enthusiast. Gardening was a natural fit and the COVID-19 pandemic provided the perfect opportunity to "dig in" and get started with a new healthy hobby.

Join us this week for a conversation with chiropractor Dr. Geoffrey Smith about fitness and the garden.

Some of the things we discuss in this episode of Down the Garden Path:

• Although seen as a relaxing hobby, gardening can be physically demanding. What can we do to warm up before heading out into the garden each day?
  • Dr Smith talks about how stretching routines like yoga has many benefits for gardeners.
• Are there ways we can do things differently while gardening to prevent injury?
  • Dr. Smith discussed the importance of varying our positions and or the chores we are doing in the garden.
• Should we do a cool-down after we've finished working in the garden?
• What inspired you to start gardening last year? Tell us a bit about your gardens.
• As a new gardener, what are your thoughts on the types of tools to safely stay active in the garden?

You can find Dr. Smith online at www.oshawasouthchiropractic.com.

About Your Hosts

Each week on Down The Garden Path, professional landscape designers Joanne Shaw and Matthew Dressing discuss down-to-earth tips and advice for your plants, gardens and landscapes.

As the owner of Down2Earth Landscape Design, Joanne Shaw has been designing beautiful gardens for homeowners east of Toronto for over a decade.

And Matthew Dressing is a horticulturist and landscape designer. He owns Natural Affinity Garden Design, a landscape design and garden maintenance firm servicing Toronto and the Eastern GTA. Together, Joanne and Matthew do their best to bring you interesting, relevant and helpful topics. Their goal is to help you keep your garden as low maintenance as possible.