With summer at an end,
the leaves are turning brown and falling, cluttering up your yard and garden –
so it’s only natural you’ll want to get the rake out. However, as with all
physical tasks about the house and garden, it is very important you take the
necessary precautions against accident and injury.
Fall yard work, leaf raking and other outdoor maintenance
activities carry numerous risks such as: upper and lower back strain, neck
strain and shoulder pain. Just like with sports, if your body isn’t prepared
for physical activity this can increase your chances of injury. You can avoid
straining yourself by taking simple precautions, such as: doing warm ups,
stretches and maintaining good posture.
Athletes are able to reduce the risk of strain and injury by
doing warm ups. The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) recommends 10-15
minutes of stretching exercises: from trunk rotations, side-bends and
knee-to-chest pulls. When these are also combined with a short walk, which
helps to stimulate circulation, and with additional stretches at the end, this
prepares the body for manual labor associated with raking and yard work.
While raking your garden or yard, good posture can also
prevent back problems – make sure you keep your back straight and your head up.
Use common sense while working: lift with your legs and bend with your knees,
taking care you don’t strain your back while picking up bundles of leaves and
grass. If you’re likely to carry heavy items, hold them close to your body to
help prevent back strain. In order to take the pressure off your back, rake
using the “scissors” stance: put your right foot forward and the left one back,
then reverse after a few minutes. When using a lawn mower, try to use your body
weight to move it as opposed to your arms and back.
It is vitally important to take breaks. Pace yourself, and
whenever your body feels tired take a respite – this is particularly important
if the weather is hot, so drink lots of water and wear sun-protection such as a
hat, sun block and protective glasses. Investing in extra protective gear, such
as gloves to prevent blisters, a mask if you’re prone to allergies and
protective eyewear, can make life easier while taking on outdoor chores. Ergonomic
tools with extra padding, larger or curved handles are less strenuous to use
over a long-time period. Changing tasks regularly helps to prevent repetitive
strain injury of certain muscle groups – change positions, or simply move onto
another task for a short period of time before returning to the previous one.
Make plans for your gardening tasks; make sure they’re realistic and unlikely
to cause strain or exhaust you too much.
If you’re unaccustomed to physical labor, chances are you
will feel sore and stiff the next day – in this case, use ice to soothe the
discomfort, but if there is no improvement in your aches and pains, then see a Murray Utah Chiropractor.
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