How to avoid back injuries while raking leaves
Chiropractors have some advice for people before they start cleaning up backyards blanketed in fall leaves.
Transcript
00:00 Those colorful fall leaves on the trees
00:02 are now piling up in our backyards.
00:04 Chiropractors say don't rush into
00:06 yard work without a game plan.
00:08 We often underestimate the ease of it.
00:10 Oh, I'm I'm just raking.
00:12 We put that in our heads when actually
00:14 when you do that repetitively,
00:16 it really does open the door for injury.
00:20 Before you fire up the leaf blower
00:22 or bring out the rake,
00:23 doctors Chad Adams and Drew
00:25 Schwartz at Cleveland Clinic say
00:26 you should take time to stretch
00:28 your arm up first. It doesn't
00:30 have to be extensive, right?
00:32 We're not looking to do a triathlon
00:34 or Cross CrossFit competition here,
00:36 but raking is going to be more than
00:38 what your body is probably used to.
00:41 So you have to prepare for that.
00:43 If you start getting sore or tired,
00:45 take a timeout.
00:46 Most injuries happen when you're
00:48 fatigued and start bending awkwardly
00:50 or overextending. Quite often,
00:51 people think, oh, if I have a strong core,
00:54 I'm going to be OK.
00:56 Unfortunately, that doesn't.
00:58 That doesn't cover all of the
00:59 areas in the spine that are
01:01 subject to these kind of forces.
01:03 The pros recommend raking with
01:05 your feet shoulder width apart.
01:07 Lift with your legs, not your back,
01:10 and drink plenty of water.
01:11 Everything moves better when we're hydrated.
01:14 You know, muscles glide along
01:15 each other better. Tendons move
01:17 better for AccuWeather. I'm Bill Waddell.