ARE YOU READY? IT’S LEAF RAKING SEASON!
It’s that time of year and all your fellow leaf rakers are out in full force cleaning up their yards and getting ready for winter). The CPOs at Howard Orthotics & Prosthetics put our heads together and came up with the top 6 things you should think of as you tackle that yard full of leaves this fall. 1. Warm up — Get your body moving with a brisk walk or some trunk rotations before you start raking 2. Avoid twisting — move your feet and use your legs to shift your weight back and forth rather than twisting through your back. Keep your shoulders and hips facing the same direction, bend at the hips and not your back, and you can’t go wrong! 3. Get the right rake — Use a rake that is a good length for you. A rake too long or too short will make you put more stress on your back. 4. Switch it up — Don’t always rake from the same side. Changing your arm and leg position will help decrease the repeated stress on your joints.
5. Use your legs — Bend at the knees when picking up piles of leaves and yard bags (that aren’t too full!) to decrease the load on your low back 6. Finish up — It’s always a good idea to finish with some stretching, or even ice areas that you know tend to get sore, after a workout. Then go and enjoy a cold (or warm!) beverage of your choice after a job well done! Remember, if you are extremely sore after an activity or minor aches in pains aren’t settling after a few days, don’t wait! Call your CPO and let them help you get back to pain-free living. That’s how it should be. What a re-leaf!
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15) 786-8973
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