Treat Spring Cleaning Like The Exercise That It Is

The spring often sees many people turn their attention to tending to things around the home that may have been put off during the lengthy winter.  Unfortunately, because many people ask a lot from their bodies after months of inactivity, there’s the potential for numerous injuries to take place.

A recent report finds an author attempting to help spring cleaners protect their bodies from harm.  You’ll want to make sure to heed these precautions and others, as something as simple as just twisting the wrong way can send a person to the hospital or even lead to months of rehabilitation.  The best remedy for such a situation is simply to avoid it entirely.

One of the smartest things you can do is treat spring cleaning like the exercise that it is.  Household chores, while not the same as something like a 5K, can nevertheless take a lot out of a person, especially if the winter was marked by extended bouts of inactivity.  Therefore, you might want to think about stretching prior to and after any action.  You should also have an ample supply of water available.

The other thing to remember with this type of “workout” is proper attention to form, just as if your were lifting weights or going for a lengthy run.  Any position that requires you to contort your body uncomfortably should be avoided, and when you’re doing things like lifting and turning, be sure to follow through on movements rather than halt in the middle of them.

This is particularly important to remember when doing something like move furniture.  You may want to push a chair to the side so that you can vacuum, but don’t approach that movement haphazardly.  Always be sure to lift any heavy objects with your legs rather than your back, and if something ends up being too arduous for just one person, enlist a friend or family member for assistance.

Cleaning the home often requires an individual to stretch excessively.  You could reach up to dust shelves that are high off the ground or be forced to bend down to mop the floor.  At these times, always remember that it’s preferable to keep one’s back in place and move the legs instead.  When reaching up, you might think about using some kind of step stool that allows you to carry out the chore without stretching your back too high.  And at the other end of the spectrum, make sure not to reach down with your hands when cleaning the floors; instead, use a lengthy mop that allows you to stand upright or else place some sort of cushion down that you can kneel on.