Although preventable if you take a few sensible precautions, unfortunately a minority of gardeners can suffer injuries, particularly to the back.

As a general rule, gardeners should move with their work and keep it in front of them and close to their bodies, avoiding reaching and twisting and trying to use tools with long handles wherever possible.

Lifting with your knees bent and use the big muscles in your thighs and to keep your back straight is also great advice.  Gardeners should also remember to work within their physical strength as even light objects should be lifted with the correct technique.  If a job in the garden is too heavy, wait until some is available to help and use a trolley wherever possible to limit the amount of lifting and carrying.

You also need to pace yourself and take a break when necessary.  Try spreading tasks over a period of time and make sure you take time to recover between projects.  There is no need to cut the whole hedge in one day!

Gardeners should also rotate tasks and avoid over-using injuries by doing different activities throughout the day.  Simple solutions like alternating digging with planting to reduce strain on major muscle groups and joints can really help.