5 Tips to Avoid Injury With Spring Yard Work

It's that time of year again - Spring brings many tree branches down, weeds, and so much work to do in the yard! I often see clients with pain or injuries caused by overdoing it in the Spring with yard work.

Here's some tips to prevent injury while doing some Spring clean up in your yard:

1. Warm up first.
   Go for a short walk or do some jumping jacks before you dive right in to bending over repeatedly to pick up those tree branches. 
   
   
2. Lift with your legs.
   Remember that the power comes from your legs and rear when lifting, keep your back straight and bend with your knees and hips.
   
   
3. Take breaks.
   Don't try to do it all at once. Take frequent breaks to hydrate and stretch. Overworking yourself increases the likelihood of getting lax on your body mechanics and more prone to injuring yourself.
   
   
4. Kneel instead of bend.
   Kneel on a rubber gardening mat, sit on a wheeled gardening stool, or sit directly on the ground instead of bending at the waist.
   
   
5. Mix it up.
   Vary your gardening tasks each time. Do a little pruning work, raking, bending work, digging, etc. Don’t continuously perform any particular activity for a long period.
   
   

And whether you overdo it or not, remember that massage therapy is an important part of taking care of yourself in every season!

Here's to a healthy and happy Spring,
​Cindy