Let us help sweep up your aches and pains!

Let us help sweep up your aches and pains!

Ah fall, how I love you. The sweaters, the apple cider, the crunching leaves ( I will go out of my way to step on them, just to feel like a little kid again ). The football, the pumpkins, the yard work.

The yard work? leaf raking is one of the typical fall activities, and it’s right up there with other activities, that fall in that category of ‘top ways to hurt your back’ which leave you on a Saturday or Sunday lying on your sofa with shockingly sharp back pain. All because you didn’t protect your back when you went out leaf raking.

To avoid that fate, follow these easy tips the next time you head out to rake.

You should think especially about stretching the muscles that support the lower back and of course, any muscle involved in the actual raking (eg. arms, shoulders) Here are some easy stretches you can do for your lower back to prepare, this doesn’t have to be extensive, just take 5 minutes and get your body ready.

·         Posture: staying hunched over is simply not good for your back. Your spine has a natural curve and you should try to maintain those spinal curves while raking, try to avoid that hunched over posture with this pattern. Rake, straighten up. Rake, straighten up. So many people rake with this pattern: rake, rake, rake, rake, rake, rake… look I went super fast and made a huge pile! Whoa, my back!

·         Twist: There are leaves all around you, so what's the most effective way to reach them all? Well, if you twist more with your lower back – leaving your feet more or less planted – you’re relying too much on your spine. Let you feet and hips do some of the work! When raking, you should rotate by moving from your hips and shuffling your feet.

·       Relax: You do not have to do the entire yard in 15 minutes. In fact, you really should make leaf raking a leisurely activity. Rake for 10 to 15 minutes, and that take a break. On your brake, make sure you hydrate – with water.

Come and visit one of our highly trained osteopaths

here at WeaverHouse, call 01270 629933