How to relieve sore muscles from gardening!

This week on the blog, I am participating in a blog hop with a group of very talented ladies who will be sharing spring time projects. There are links to their projects at the end of the blog and I encourage you to take a look. I would like to give a big shout out to Cindy from Cloches & Lavender who put the hop together. To any of her beautiful friends who are coming over from her blog, welcome!!! I am so happy you have come on over! If you are starting on my blog, please make sure you hop on over to see Cindy’s amazing indoor garden party!

It’s gardening season again and that means I will be looking for how to relieve sore muscles from gardening ! I am thrilled it’s gardening season, but I know with it will come back aches, neck aches, and sore muscles. They eventually pass once I am into the swing of things but I have found that soaking in a tub is a wonderful way to end the day, eases all those aches and pains and I end up having an amazing sleep.

I like to add epsom salts to my bath because I know it helps with muscle pain and inflammation but did you know that empson salts also:

• stabilize mood and relieve stress, anxiety and depression;
• detox and reduce toxins;
• give your skin a healthy appearance; and
• reduce foot odor.

Epsom salts are not the be all end all though. Himalayan pink salt is also extremely helpful with regard to:

• relieving stress and tension and promoting calm;
• helping to reduce swelling
• soothing itchy skin;
• relaxing cramped muscles because it helps the body absorb magnesium;
• improving skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis and acne;
• recharging and engergizing your body; and
• boosting metabolism!!! Wow, I will take the metabolism booster alone!!!

So what I have for you this week is a bath salt recipe that is not only great for your body and health but it also smells wonderful.

Supplies needed:

• 2 cups epsom salts
• 1 cup Himalayan Pink salt
• 1/4 cup of lavender buds (these are completely optional)
• 30 drops of lavender essential oil
• mason jar with lid
• ribbon, lace or twine to decorate the jar
• 3 sprigs of lavender
• glue gun and glue sticks
• scissors
• large bowl and spoon
• funnel

Directions:

Pour two cups of epsom salts into a large bowl. Then add one cup of Himalayan pink salt and 1/4 cup of lavender buds. Stir well.

Add 30 drops of lavender essential oil all over the mixture and then mix well.

Use a funnel and pour all of mixture into a mason jar. Put the lid on the mason jar.

Decorating the mason jar

Whether giving this as a present or storing in your bathroom, decorating it just adds the finishing touch.

I am giving you two options – one is vintage and fancy and the other is simple and natural.

Option #1 – Vintage & fancy

Measure a piece of lace ribbon 14″ long and wrap around the neck of the mason jar. Place a small dab of glue on the mason jar under the ribbon. Then cross the other piece of ribbon and affix with a small dab of glue.

Place a medium amount of hot glue where the ribbon crosses and press three sprigs of lavender into the glue

Cut a 19″ length of lavender ribbon, wrap around the middle of the lace ribbon and create a bow at the front and glue on top of the lavender. Trim the ends of the ribbon and glue the tails against the jar so that they hang nicely.

Option #2 – Simple decoration of jar

Wrap a piece of twine several times around the neck of the mason jar.

Pull the two ends down about 2″ inches from the cap, cross the ends across one another and where they cross, glue to the jar. Then take three sprigs of lavender and glue on top of where they cross. Then tie the ends of the twine into a bow.

Time to enjoy

Fill your tub with warm water, just 2 degrees warmer than your natural body temperature.

Add one tablespoon of the mixture at a time. You will probably only need 3 to 4 tablespoons. Swirl the salts around and make sure they completely dissolve.

Lower yourself into the bath gently and make sure to have a glass of water nearby to sip on so that you do not dehydrate.

Submerge yourself completely in the bath. Exit the bath no more than 30 minutes later.

Other ways how to relieve sore muscles from gardening…

This article “Feel Great While Gardening” contains many tips to keep gardening enjoyable and pain free.

“10 ways to prevent aches and pain after gardening” also has many wonderful suggestions.

Looking for other lavender projects?

I love growing lavender. Have you ever grown it? If you have you know how wonderful it is just to walk through. Every part of your body that touches is smells heavenly. It is easy to grow and extremely easy to harvest and store. I even made a book mark from it. If you would like to learn how, just click this link.

Next up on the hop is Kimberly…

Don’t forget to keep on hopping and head over to Kimberly’s blog From Farmhouse to Florida. She has a red, rustic and reclaimed project on the go.

Cloches & Lavender // Sweet Valley Acres // From Farmhouse to Florida //Peacock Ridge 

Hen and Horse Design // Amy Sadler Designs // White Lilac Farmhouse //

An Organized Season // Shop at Blu // Feet Under My Table // 

I hope this helps you with those early back to gardening pains! Wishing you the most wonderful gardening season ever

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