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Aromatic Wisdom · Gardening & Recovery
What would become Joyful Joints (a botanical massage comfort oil) began with a lump of clay.
When I was wedging clay, essentially kneading it to make it ready for use, the area around my wrist and thumb became so sore it brought me to tears. That experience prompted me to formulate a massage oil to reduce the pain. It was very helpful. Others tried it and found it helpful too, and these experiences led me to the Greensboro Farmers Curb Market, but this is a story for another time.
I started using it for many activities, in particular, spring gardening. I enjoy working in the garden, but several hours of stooping can leave me hurting afterward. At the Farmers Market, I hear familiar stories: stiff shoulders, tired hands, often on the first warm spring weekend, the winter body moving in ways it hadn’t for a while.
The garden may be ready for spring before our bodies have shaken off the torpor and are ready for the season’s activity.
Why does gardening leave you sore?
Gardening can ask your body to do more work, or different work, than it has recently practiced. Unfamiliar muscular effort can produce delayed-onset muscle soreness. Repeated gripping, prolonged bending, and kneeling can also cause discomfort that deserves its own attention.
Understanding the difference helps you decide whether to ease back into activity, change how you work, or seek professional guidance.
What is happening in your muscles?
Consider lowering a heavy bag of soil. Your muscles work to control the descent while lengthening. This is called an eccentric contraction, and unfamiliar or demanding effort of this kind is particularly associated with delayed-onset muscle soreness. The American College of Sports Medicine explains this connection in its discussion of lengthening muscle contractions and soreness.
Microscopic changes in muscle tissue and the body’s subsequent responses contribute to the tenderness you feel afterward.
The practical lesson is easier to remember: give your body time to become accustomed to the work.
Why can gardening feel demanding even if you walk or exercise regularly?
Walking and pruning ask different things of you.
A regular walk may leave you well prepared to move around the garden, while your hands still find an afternoon of gripping pruners demanding. Weeding adds sustained bending; hauling soil adds lifting and carrying.
Your recent activity, workload, and recovery all influence the experience. Notice which tasks cause discomfort and whether changing your position or taking a break helps. Garden pads can work wonders for sensitive knees, and stools designed to hold tools can be helpful additions while you remove those pesky weeds and prepare your beds for the color and scent that will soon root.
How can you make the next gardening session more comfortable?
Before you begin, consider the work you’re planning. “Gardening” can mean carrying pots, gripping pruners, pulling roots, or crouching over seedlings. Each asks something different of your body. Planning around those demands can make the afternoon more enjoyable.
Rutgers Cooperative Extension and UC Berkeley’s gardening ergonomics guide (PDF) recommend changing tasks to interrupt repetitive work. The trick is noticing which jobs actually repeat the same demand.
Rotate the demand, not just the task
Switching from pruning to pulling weeds may feel like a change, but your hands are still gripping. For a more meaningful break, follow hand-intensive work with inspecting plants, planning where seedlings will go, or another job that lets your hands rest. Similarly, moving from weeding to planting may leave you bent over in the same position.
What part of me is still doing the same work?
| Task | Common demands | A useful change |
|---|---|---|
| Pruning or deadheading | Repeated gripping or pinching; reaching | Put the tools down and inspect plants or plan the next job. |
| Weeding | Gripping and pulling; sustained bending, sitting, or kneeling | Stand and walk, or choose a table-height job if it changes your position comfortably. |
| Hauling soil or pots | Lifting, carrying, pushing; effort through the legs, trunk, shoulders, and hands | Pause, then choose a genuinely light job such as reviewing plant placement. |
| Planting seedlings | Fine hand work; crouching, bending, or kneeling | Change position and take a hands-free walk through the garden. |
A different job can still use the same muscles. Treat this map as a prompt to notice the work, rather than a promise that a particular body part is resting.
Make the garden come to you where possible
Potting at a table can save repeated trips down to the ground. Place tools within easy reach, turn your seat toward the work, and move along the bed rather than stretching farther and farther from one spot. A stool helps most when its position lets you work comfortably.
Divide the load before you lift it
A bag of soil arrives in the quantity the supplier sells; you don’t have to move it all at once. Where practical, scoop it into smaller containers or use a cart to bring materials closer. Berkeley’s guide recommends breaking down heavier loads and using mechanical aids. Several manageable loads may serve you better than one determined struggle.
Notice the grip your tools require
Before buying pruners, try opening and closing them. Can your hand manage the handle span comfortably? Do you need to squeeze hard? Choose a tool suited to the branch rather than forcing a small pair through something too substantial. Maintain cutting tools according to their instructions.
Notice your gloves, too. They should protect your hands while letting you hold and operate tools comfortably. Berkeley’s guide emphasizes well-fitting gloves and maintained tools.
Begin with movement, then build in real pauses
Berkeley suggests a five-minute warm-up, such as walking, before gardening. A comfortable walk around the yard can also help you decide what needs attention before you pick up the tools.
Rutgers recommends breaks every 15 to 30 minutes. Use that as a reminder to pause, drink water, and check how you feel—not a requirement to work until the timer rings. Change position or stop sooner if discomfort develops.
What a rotated session might look like
This is an illustrative plan, not a prescribed duration. Shorten it, skip a task, or finish whenever you’ve done enough. Switching jobs does not replace taking a break.
| Stage | What you might do | What to notice |
|---|---|---|
| Warm up | Walk comfortably around the yard for about five minutes. | Notice how you feel and choose a modest area to work on. |
| First work block | Pot a few seedlings at a comfortable table height. | Your hands are still working; avoid prolonged reaching or leaning. |
| Pause | Put tools down, drink water, and review plant placement. | Give your grip a break and change position comfortably. |
| Next work block | Weed a small patch using a stool or pad if helpful. | Weeding can still load the hands and back. Reposition and limit the patch. |
| Pause and reassess | Stand or walk comfortably; decide whether to finish. | Check for increasing discomfort or fatigue before adding another job. |
| Optional final job | Move a small amount of soil with a cart, or choose a lighter task. | Cart work still requires effort. Keep the load manageable and leave energy for cleanup. |
Let the next morning inform the next session
“One more weed” can become another hour. Pick a modest section of the bed, then pause to assess how you feel. Pay attention afterward as well. How do your hands feel that evening? How easily do you move the next morning? Those observations can help you choose a manageable amount of work next time.
If a session leaves you struggling with everyday activities, reduce the demand next time rather than using soreness as a target. Increase the work gradually as it becomes manageable, and seek guidance for persistent or recurring pain.
Leave yourself an easy finish
Putting everything away is part of the workload. Bring out only what you need, keep a container nearby for weeds, and leave enough energy to clean up without rushing.
Then take that drink outside and admire what you’ve done. The garden is something you are creating—and something you deserve to enjoy.
Further reading for this section
Where do warmth and massage fit?
Gentle warmth can soothe stiff muscles. NHS guidance describes warmth as an option for easing pain and muscle spasm. See its guidance on heat and cold.
A fresh injury needs a different approach. The NHS advises avoiding heat and massage during the first couple of days after a sprain or strain. A cold pack wrapped in a towel may help manage swelling; follow its sprains and strains guidance for appropriate use.
A useful distinction: gentle warmth for ordinary muscle stiffness; a fresh injury needs assessment and care appropriate to the injury.
How might Joyful Joints fit into your routine? (A quick product plug)
My experience with clay shaped the purpose of Joyful Joints, and gardening became another setting I found it useful.
The blend includes plai, neroli, sandalwood, and lavender, with hemp seed oil and vitamin E. I choose these ingredients for their intended roles within the formulation, taking into account research, skin feel, aroma, and practical application.
If you’re interested in learning more about my process, The Chemistry Behind My Botanical Blends explores the research and choices behind essential oils like plai.
If you choose to use it, follow the product’s directions, apply to intact skin, and stop if irritation occurs. A comfortable massage routine should accompany sensible pacing and recovery.
When should you seek help?
Pain that is severe, worsening, accompanied by substantial swelling or bruising, or prevents normal use of the area deserves medical attention. Persistent or recurring discomfort also warrants assessment. The NHS injury guidance explains signs that need help. Listen to your body; it knows, even if at times we want to play deaf.
I often share that each of us is unique and there are subtle differences in our bodies, chemistry, and history that influence our reactions. Be curious and open to exploration. What works for one person may not work for you. My experience with Joyful Joints may not be yours, or it might.
A garden you can return to
There is satisfaction in looking across a freshly planted bed. There is also satisfaction in being comfortable enough to enjoy it.
Choose a manageable job, change tasks, and leave room for recovery. If you would like to know more, explore Joyful Joints here.
Frequently asked questions
Does changing gardening tasks count as taking a break?
Changing tasks can interrupt repetitive work, but it doesn’t always give the working area a rest. Pruning and pulling weeds both ask your hands to grip. Put the tools down periodically and choose a comfortable change of position. Ask: “What part of me is still doing the same work?”
How do I know how much gardening is enough?
Start with a manageable patch or job rather than an entire afternoon’s ambition. Notice how you feel while working, that evening, and the next morning. Use those observations to adjust the next session. Increasing discomfort is a reason to pause or change the plan; you don’t need to finish the bed to call the day productive.
Can Joyful Joints take the place of rest?
I use Joyful Joints as part of a comfort routine alongside pacing and recovery. Feeling more comfortable doesn’t necessarily mean your body is ready for more work. Follow the product’s directions, leave room for rest, and seek medical guidance for severe, persistent, or worsening pain.
Sources and further reading
About the Author
M. Leslie Danis Rice is the founder and formulator of Botanic Aromatics in Greensboro, North Carolina. She makes botanical massage oils, essential oil blends, personal inhalers, and herbal teas, and has sold them at the Greensboro Farmers Curb Market since 2022.
Leslie holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and is studying aromatherapy through the Essence of Thyme College for Holistic Studies in its “Professional Certification Program in Aromatherapy and Essential Oil Science” (expected completion spring 2027). She began learning and formulating around 2016. Her formulation choices draw on plant chemistry, research, traditional use, and what she learns from making blends and talking with customers at the market. She blends for effect first and aroma second, sharing the reasoning behind her choices so people can make informed decisions about everyday wellness.
She is a co-founder of the Greensboro Holistic Collective and serves on the board of the Greensboro Farmers Curb Market. Her work is guided by Care • Craft • Clarity.
Disclaimer
The content provided by Botanic Aromatics is intended for educational purposes and to support informed wellness choices. It is not medical advice and is not intended to replace consultation with a qualified healthcare provider. Please seek professional guidance for medical concerns or before using essential oils if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or managing a health condition.