Here are four ways you can protect your spine when you’re weeding the garden or cleaning out the gutters this spring.
1. Warm up
Cleaning is a workout, and just like with any other workout, you need to make sure that you are properly warmed up. Stretching helps your muscles shift from a restful state to an active state and gets oxygenated blood to your spine.
2. Hydrate
It might not be all that warm yet, but you still lose a lot of fluid during physical activity, and if you’re dehydrated, you’re prone to muscle injuries. Just like you drink more water on days when you’re getting an adjustment, make sure that you are replenishing those fluids while you clean!
3. Proper Posture and Techniques
Spring cleaning is a full body workout! You’ll be bending, twisting, reaching, lifting… so while you’re doing all this, make sure you’re doing it with good form. Bend at the knees, not the spine, so that your legs can do the work as you lift things. Organize your tools so that you have them easily to hand, rather than reaching or twisting to get them. And finally….
4. Give yourself time!
Take breaks: remember, it took all winter for your house/garden/whatever to get into this state. No need to try to get it all sorted in a day!
