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….uggh winter (don’t worry, body saving tips for the winter to follow in future Newsletters!). The Crew at SOS Physiotherapy 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 your 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 to 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 Physiotherapist and let them help you get back to pain free living. That’s how it should be. What a re-leaf!
www.sosphysiotherapy.ca
Belmont Clinic Belmont Centre for Physical Medicine 564 Belmont Avenue West, Suite 301 Kitchener, Ontario N2M 5N6 TEL: (519) 743-4355
Campus Clinic University of Waterloo Student Life Centre
Elmira Clinic Behind Wellness Centre (Clock Tower) 3 Wyatt Street East, Suite 2 Elmira, Ontario N3B 2H4 TEL: (519) 669-1212
200 University Avenue West Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1 TEL: (519) 884-0767
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