Summer brings out-of-town guests and outdoor celebrations. So, cleaning for the season is on your mind. While it may be true that summertime living is easy, getting there requires a little effort to get your living space ready for the fun.
But what about your spine in the thick of the preparations? Looking after it is important if you want to enjoy the fruits of your labor pain-free.
To that end, this post is dedicated to ways to prevent spine pain during summer cleaning.
Stretch, for the love of your spine
You may have been relatively sedentary over the winter and even the spring, as the warm weather crept across the land. Because of that, it’s important that you take extra care. Jumping in with both feet can be a recipe for disaster if you don’t prepare your body properly for the exertion of cleaning the guest bedroom and pulling all those weeds in the yard.
Make a routine of stretching in the morning, prior to engaging in the heavy lifting of summer cleaning. Starting with your neck, work your way down, slowly and gently engaging the various muscle groups, until you’re warm, limber and ready.
Heavy lifting for real
Moving furniture and lifting bags of soil in the garden are summer realities. So is rooting out the power washer to get your deck ready for company.
But while you’re doing all that, you need to observe proper lifting technique to protect your spine.
Everyone knows they should lift with their legs, but that’s easy to forget as you get into the cleaning spirit. Always use your legs to lift and don’t even think about hauling heavy things without assistance. Use a dolly, if that’s not possible, or a wheel barrow.
And whatever you do, don’t twist while lifting. Take smaller steps to turn.
Think ahead
Cleaning frenzies happen, but to protect your spine, you need to take breaks at regular intervals. You’re not going to get all the work done in a single day, so schedule it across several days or even weeks and don’t leave everything to the last minute.
Planning your summer cleaning gives your spine a break, instead of breaking your spine by attempting to carve a chunk out of the work as quickly as possible. Thinking ahead can save your spine both injury and insult.
Listen to your body
As I always say, pain or discomfort is your body’s way of telling your brain it needs some attention. While you’re out there doing battle with dirt and weeds, be mindful of how you feel.
And if you hurt yourself, stop right there. Sit down with a bag of ice and put it on whatever you’ve strained through over-exertion. Then, contact me.
Spine rescue at Back & Body
If you’ve worked yourself into a cleaning frenzy that’s hurt your spine and the pain isn’t going anywhere, it’s time for a visit to the pain relief specialists at Back & Body.
We’re in New Jersey to help. Let’s straighten you out!
