For many of you this may have come a little too late. Sorry about that, but our office phone has been ringing off the hook on Monday mornings because of injuries caused from raking and yardwork. It seems that smart, health conscious, people who stretch daily, exercise regularly, use trainers to make sure they have good form, eat healthy and have the proper exercise clothes and footwear for all their favorite sports will look out the window on a weekend morning, see leaves all over their yard then do the craziest thing. They go out to the garage with whatever clothes they are wearing, grab a rake and start raking. No warm-up stretching or hydration to prepare for action, and then do yard work for hours, if not the whole day. They don’t bother to switch sides when they rake to give themselves a more symmetrical workout. Then they bag the leaves bending their backs and not using their knees. There do not take breaks to admire the beauty of the day, they just plow through it. When they are done they may start pruning dead branches, or might grab a ladder and start cleaning out the gutters. Some folks feel acute pain during the day doing one of the many bends and twists. Most feel great while they are active, but a few hours, or the next day start developing acute pain, often when getting out of the couch which they lounged on after a full day’s physical work. Sound familiar? Hopefully this wasn’t you I described, but I bet it happened to someone you know.
Yard work is exercise! Just like you need to train to participate for your favorite sport, you need to prepare for yard work. Assuming you are in shape to do your own yard work here are some of the basics:
• Dress Appropriately- In layers so you can shed them as you heat-up
• Wear supportive footwear (and gloves to avoid blisters)
• Stretch – Prepare your body for action before and after. Remember stretch to tension, never pain
• Be Symmetrical- Every 10 minutes alternate side you rake on to give yourself an “even” workout
• Take Breaks- At least every 30 minutes take a 5 minute break- to have a snack, stretch or just to admire your work
• Hydrate- Drink water, apple cider, or a sports drink to hydrate
• Use Your Knees (Not Your Back) When You Bend- that’s a blog in itself-
• Pace Yourself- The wind is going to keep blowing more leaves into your yard. You don’t have to do it all in one day. Better to rake in 1-2 hour shifts, then one marathon session
• Post-Yard Work- Stretch again, cool your body down. Take a short walk. One of the worst things to do after prolonged physical activity is to get sucked into the couch.
If you feel pain when doing yard work- STOP!!! Pain is your body’s way of saying something is not right. Listen to your body. Stretch gently and start icing! The 1st 24 hours after an injury it is best to ice 15 minutes on / 15 minutes off, and repeat as much as possible. If you feel pain AFTER activity, most likely you irritated tissues and your body has gone through the inflammatory cascade. In that case you should also start icing. The inflammatory cascade can take up to 72 hours, so pain a few days after yard work is possible.
If you wake up the next morning and feel sore, like you have not used those muscles for a long time, then and only then could you use heat. ONLY use heat if the soreness is not along the spine or at a joint. When in doubt ice is always the better choice. Heat always feels good when it is on, but actually increases the inflammation.
I hope this has not arrived too late. If you haven’t started (or finished) your fall yard clean-up please follow the above tips. If the pain persists call us, or your trusted health care provider. Stay tuned, my snow shoveling tips will be coming before you know it.