Health And Wellness: Five Tips To Avoid Back Pain When Raking Leaves

Right now in New England we are in full leaf. Leaves are everywhere and the daily noise of leaves in my area has become something meditative. I love autumn, but I don't like falling leaves. And blowing the leaves is even worse if your back hurts.

The good news is that avoiding back pain from these monotonous, repetitive activities isn't as difficult as you might think...

Here are five tips to help you avoid back pain while raking leaves.

Before you start, take a short walk

Walking is a great exercise for the back in general, but it's also a very easy way to warm up your entire body before doing repetitions for an hour or so. Personally, I love nothing more than walking in the fresh, fresh autumn air. Why not take a walk around the block before you get down to business? This simple exercise will get blood flowing to your arms, legs, and spine, as well as get all your joints moving and warming up for full body activity.

stretching every 30 minutes

The greatest "danger" for the back during leaf fall is the repetitive nature, especially the frequent bending and twisting of the spine. Our spine was designed to keep us upright, not to bend and twist in the same direction over and over again. One of the easiest ways to protect your back while raking leaves or other repetitive activities is to take quick and frequent breaks to stretch. Every 30 minutes or so, stop what you're doing and just stretch your back. This very simple action will help to avoid excessive back pain when pumping.

Bend your legs and hips

As mentioned above, one of the worst things you can do to your back is frequent twists and turns, which are very easy to do if you don't pay attention to the leaves. One way to avoid this is to use your hips and legs to bend and rotate. Bending and lifting your legs and hips as you lower yourself to the ground minimizes spinal rotation, and rotating your pelvis to move your shoulder blades to the side minimizes spinal rotation. Don't get me wrong, you may still experience back pain after taking the time to "do it right" but there will be a lot less stress and it may help you avoid back pain in a day or two because that yes, this is the time when you need to collect the page. This usually happens if good habits are not used at the time.

Your kernel is compromised

You don't need a beefy abs to avoid back pain when you're raking leaves, but knowing your core can go a long way and certainly doesn't hurt. Most back injuries happen when you least expect it... coughing, sneezing, picking up something glowing from the ground. These actions are so automatic and meaningless that you usually don't pay attention to what your kernel does or doesn't do. Collecting leaves is no less pointless. Every time you pull the bar up or lift it up, think about contracting and activating your abs. This will help keep your spine stronger and more stable as you roll on the foam.

Then keep hitting

What you do after your racks is just as important as what you do during them to prevent back pain. One of the biggest mistakes people make is lying on the couch or bench after intense or interval training (like racks). This is one of the worst things for the spine because it is more flexible and weaker after exertion. If you find yourself squatting in a comfortable and stable position after a few squats, that might be the icing on the cake. You get up and "boom" - the back will go. I always see it. Do yourself a favor and take a walk after the cold to cool off, and be careful with the position you rest in after such a hard day at work.

We hope these tips help you think of a few things before you go for a run and, most importantly, prevent unwanted back pain so you can enjoy this wonderful fall season.

Dr. Kerry José, Physical Therapist and Pilates Specialist, owns CJ Physical Therapy and Pilates in Portsmouth and writes for Seacoast Media Group. To contact him or get his free back pain prevention guide, visit www.cjphysicaltherapy.com or call 603-605-0402 .

This article first appeared in the Portsmouth Herald. five tips to avoid back pain while enjoying the health and wellness page.

Stop chasing goals and focus on your health Chloe Hakim-Moore | TEDxMemphis