Stretching Before Yard Work

Though we have had a heavy dose of rain these days, it appears that the nicer weather has finally arrived! What does that mean? Many of you will be tackling outdoor projects around the house, especially in the yard.

Over the years, I have noticed after a long weekend for example, many people come  into our Chiropractic Clinic, located in Oakville, hobbling into the office with self-inflicted injuries so to speak. Those first few weekends in May and June, require us to trim the bushes, edge our lawns, till the soil , rake and dig in plants. Quite often this is done after sitting at your desk all week or some other task that does not require a physical component.

Monday suddenly you experience the achy-breaky back. Is this a surprise to anyone? When anyone begins a new regimen with a sporting activity, it goes without saying that you must prepare the body for circumstances that you can operate at your highest level of fitness and preparedness.

Imagine any athlete taking to the ice, court, pitch or field without properly warming up the muscles that you would be using. Yet in our own backyards the warm-up consists of a double double.

It is imperative that you consider yourself as a domestic athlete or an athlete in industry albeit in your own backyard. It is critical and of paramount importance to prepare your body for tasks that for the most part are not in your regular routines.

What does this entail?
It is not as daunting as it sounds. I will break down some simple procedures that will help you avoid injury:

• Stretch your neck in all cardinal directions
• Do little and big circles with your arms and shoulders in both directions
• Pull your knee to chest on both sides
• Do a couple minutes of imaginary hula hoop
• Stretch your hamstrings etc.

I am sure you get the idea of warming up the muscles before you ask them to perform on a level that is not part of your normal routine. If you have missed reading this blog and already found yourself in pain, you can read more about symptoms here of if more clarification is required with respect to warm up routines don’t hesitate to email us here at info@oakvillechiropractic.com.

Enjoy the lovely weather!

Dr Brian Huggins