Warm up before hitting the yard!
Did you know that mowing your lawn with a push mower for 30 minutes could burn over 200 calories?Here are a few easy tips to warm up your muscles and joints to avoid straining your body, hopefully making your gardening and lawncare more enjoyable:
Be Prepared
Wear comfortable, light clothing that allows your body to breathe. If the weather is a bit cool, be sure to layer-up to keep your muscles warm and loose.
Warm up and stretch before AND after your chores
The key to keeping your body moving the way you want it to is to treat it well along the way! A quick muscle warm-up by walking around your yard, and a few stretches to loosen things up will help.
Switch hands to avoid repetition
Many people are most comfortable with one hand when gardening or pulling weeds, however it is a good idea to switch sides on a regular basis to avoid repetitive stress on the same side of the neck, shoulders and back.
Use your legs, not your back
This is a well-known slogan, but we need to follow it! The knees are meant to withstand bending while the low back does not like to do this over and over. Your leg muscles are much stronger than your lower back muscles, so use them! |
