Fall Leaf Clean Up Without Pain: Tips from Coach Amy
“During an easy, after-school run one Friday, my fellow cross country teammates and I came across an elderly lady who was outside raking her yard. Seeing that her yard was carpeted in leaves, the whole team stopped, grabbed rakes and bags, and cleaned up her yard in under 30 minutes. This is one of my fondest memories. ”
Fall leaves are beautiful to behold. Removing them from the yard can be a fun form of exercise in the crisp fall outdoors. Unfortunately, raking can also lead to overuse injuries, such as back strain, shoulder impingement and pinched nerves.
Maintaining strength and physical fitness throughout the year is always a good idea, but even with a solid foundation, the risk of injury with seasonal tasks is high. When it comes to fall leaf clean up in the midwest, most of us are as prepared for it as we are for snow skiing. We don’t rake or blow leaves all year long, nor do we gradually train for the event, so our bodies are not adapted to the the unique, repetitive movements.
Our tendency to use one favored position over another for an extended period of time contributes to acute stress on the body. This is confounded further by our propensity to pack the work into two full days on a weekend.
REPETITIVE MOTION + POOR FORM + EXTENDED TIME = PAIN & INJURY
Follow these tips from Coach Amy to prevent pain and injury with fall leaf clean up.
Warm Up is Worth It
Move dynamically for 5-10 minutes with an activity that you are familiar with, such as yoga, walking, elliptical or stationary bike before starting your leaf clean up.
Variety is Virtuous
Switch arms every 10 pulls of the rake or swings of the leaf blower.
Alternate the leg that is forward every 10 pulls of the rake.
Position is Power
Bend at your knees to scoop up leaves.
Use your whole body when making sweeps and pulls - not just your arms. Your ankles, knees, hips should all move together.
Pick up your feet and move your whole body when you turn directions to avoid repetitive twisting.
Hold leaf blower or wear a strap to keep it close to your body. The further away it is from your body, the more force it transfers to your spine/shoulder.
Relative Rest Rules
Take a break every 20-30 min to drink some water, rest or perform a different task that doesn’t use the same motions or uses the opposite motions.
Plan your lawn work over several weekends. Avoid cramming it all in.
Get help! There are many teenagers who would love to earn a few bucks helping you out by either doing the whole job or working alongside you.
As with many activities, we do not always feel the helpful pain that can tell us to stop or slow down a harmful motion during the activity. Instead, that pain sometimes doesn’t come until after we’ve stopped for the day. Follow Coach Amy’s tips, and you are more likely to be successful, have fun and get a good workout doing it!