If you’re like many people across the country, then in the next few weeks you’re going to be raking leaves and seeing to the various types of yard work that go along with the fall season. Because such yard work entails a lot of bending and twisting and awkward movement, it’s not surprising that the season also tends to see a spike in the number of back injuries that lay people up and send them to a doctor. To make sure you’re not going to fall into that category, consider some of the tips on hand from a report out of Little Rock, Arkansas.
When you’re out in the yard combing through and putting leaves together in a pile, there is a temptation to put much of the stress on your back. If you’re not paying careful attention to your technique and the general way in which you carry your body, you could contort yourself into a dangerous position.
You can encourage back health from the outset by treating leaf raking and other yard work like any other physical activity. Just as you would stretch out before you go for a jog, so should you stretch before working around your yard. You might even take a light run around the block to get your blood flowing.
Once you start, you should be using the type of rake and other pieces of equipment that allow you to engage in various movements without having to alter a straight posture. As you rake, you should be able to reach the leaves without leaning your back forward. If you tend to favor one leg, putting your right one forward, for instance, get in the habit of switching up your stance throughout the day so that no one portion of your body takes all the stress.
When the leaves have been placed into piles, your next step will be picking those up and putting them into bags. This is where many injuries pop up. You have to approach picking up leaves like you would lifting weights. Instead of bending over and putting all of that weight on your back, bend your knees, scoop the leaves into your hands, and then stand up. Don’t twist as you stand; instead, turn once fully erect and deposit the leaves in the bag you’ve gotten ready. Once you actually have that bag filled, the same precautions should apply. Lift with your legs and carry the bag to where it needs to be placed for pickup or disposal.
Finally, be especially careful on a ladder. You want to keep yourself centered while climbing, never reaching farther than you can carefully achieve. If you fall, your back could take much of the brunt of the impact, and you don’t want that to happen.
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