Save Your Back While Raking Leaves
The splendor of the fall season is the brightly colored foliage. Unfortunately, that beauty falls away, and you’re left to rake it all up! But before you march outside with rake in hand, you’ll want to take care to avoid injury and steer clear of starting the holiday season laid up from simple yard work.
Think about it. If a little game of pick-up football or a round of golf with friends and family in the crisp autumn air can cause injury, then so could fall yard work. The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) concurs: “The twisting, turning, bending and reaching of mowing and raking can also cause injury if your body is not prepared. As an athlete, if you leap into something without warming up or knowing how to do it, [then] the chances of injury are greater.” The most common injuries from raking leaves are upper- or lower-back strain, neck strain and pain in the shoulders. So how do you avoid back strain while raking leaves this fall?
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Good News and Great News!
The good news about fall and winter activities is that raking and shoveling burns calories. For instance, a 180-pound person burns 180 calories in 30 minutes while shoveling! Although all this great exercise can put a strain on your low back, we have great ways of helping to prevent you from injuries.
The great news is that we have Tips and ProActive Tools that will help you to enjoy these upcoming seasonal activities, click to read more!
For Your Health,
Dr. Scott Van Dam