Fall is a great time of year with football season starting, the leaves changing color, and the weather beginning to cool down. Unfortunately, it also mean’s it’s time to start doing more yard work. Raking leaves is one of the many chores that can quickly take a toll on your back, and it’s a relevant topic for us to discuss.
Many of us are desk jockeys who get some occasional exercise, but we think we’ll still be able to go out and get all the yard work done in an afternoon. Before we know it, the sustained activity will lead to improper biomechanics. Simply put, you’ll end up hurting yourself if you’re not careful (especially when you start to get tired). We’ve seen patients that develop not only low back pain, but serious disc issues that require extensive treatment. These issues are largely preventable as long as you follow these four tips:
1. Stretch
The low back is the key area where we see the most complaints related to yard work (especially raking leaves). In addition to the low back, you will be working the upper body and arms. It makes plenty of sense to gently warm up the low back, upper body, and arms with some stretches.
2. Maintain Good Form
Good posture is probably the most important aspect that people should pay attention to while doing yard work. Proper biomechanics and ergonomics are critical to preventing injuries. Essentially, this means keeping good mechanical form without slouching, tightening the hips, or shifting the weight unevenly. This really depends on being conscious of your movements.
Once people become fatigued and adopt improper posture, increased stress, irritation, and pressure is applied to the joints and discs. It could potentially lead to muscle spasms and tightness as well. Instead of tightening the hips and bending the back, hinge through the hips. Imagine the position a golfer would take before swinging their club—they keep their spine and back relatively straight while bending mostly with the hips.
3. Move Your Feet
Most people tend to stand in place much of the time while doing yard work. If there’s a big pile of leaves, it probably involves repeated bending and twisting. Instead, it’s important that you move your feet as much as possible. Squatting is also a good practice, where the hips and knees are bent to maximize mobility.
4. Take it Easy
Those leaves probably aren’t going anywhere. No mater how good shape you’re in or how perfect your biomechanics are, there is no need to do yard work for 8 hours straight. Get help from family members and take regular breaks.
The repetitive motions from yard work can easily lead to injury, especially because our margin of error shrinks as we age. If you feel any sort of discomfort, it might be a sign that something is already going on with your body. Remember, it doesn’t take heavy loads or excessive force to develop a significant injury.
To learn more about how you can make the best out of this fall season with healthy activity, contact us today or give us a call at (918) 743-3737.
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