In this series, we’ll cover some of the common injuries that our bodies endure through the physical tasks of the everchanging New England seasons. We’ll highlight some of the ways to manage these issues as they pop up and better yet prevent them entirely.
Of course, we’re usually fully in support of working hard- it does pay off most times. But when it comes to yard work and chores around the house, we like to work smarter so that the hard work in the gym and on the mountain can go on uninterrupted. If you’re anything like us, you probably get some enjoyment out of maintaining the homestead, but not quite as much as hitting a new PR in the gym or finally shredding that line you’ve been eyeing for a few seasons.
Each season has a unique combination of weather, inherent physical preparedness, and associated tasks that we have to be ready for, so without further ado: FALL.
As the vibrant fall colors sweep through Vermont, it's time for the yard warriors to rise to the challenge. Whether it’s raking leaves, chopping firewood, or getting the house prepped for winter, autumn in Vermont is filled with physically demanding tasks. Just like athletes training for a big event, our chore champions push their bodies to the limit as they take on the rigors of seasonal yard work and home maintenance.
The Strain of Fall Yard Work in Vermont
Raking Leaves: Vermont’s trees drop a lot of (beautiful) leaves, and raking them up requires repetitive motions that strain your back, shoulders, and hands/wrists.
Chopping Firewood: Splitting and stacking wood demands a lot of explosive strength and core stability. Chopping and lifting all this heat places strain especially on your lower back and core.
Cleaning Gutters: Climbing ladders and stretching to clear debris from gutters puts some serious leverage on your shoulders and upper back, as well as your calves and ankles
Garden Cleanup: Pulling up plants, mulching, planting and generally prepping for winter is hard on your knees and hands, and requires some real postural endurance out of your back and neck muscles.
While these activities may seem like simple and monotonous household tasks, they require strength, endurance, power, and mobility—similar to what we ask of our bodies in sports. Without proper form and precautions, your body can easily fall victim to overuse injuries.
Common Injuries Among Vermont’s Yard Workers
1. Low Back Pain
The constant bending, lifting, and rotating involved in raking, chopping wood, and lifting heavy bags of leaves can lead to strain in the muscles and other structures in the lower back. Although significant injuries are rare, soreness and accumulated irritation of the area is particularly common as we get tired and start to lose track of our functional movement technique, putting more stress on the low back.
2. Shoulder Irritation
Reaching out and overhead to clear gutters, hours of continuous raking, and certainly the explosive motion of chopping wood takes a lot of shoulder strength, mobility, and endurance. Especially when lacking in these areas, these tasks can lead to stress and inflammation in the shoulder and surrounding musculature like the rotator cuff.
3. Wrist and Forearm Strain
Gripping tools like rakes, shovels, pruning shears, and power tools for long periods can strain the muscles in the forearm, wrist, and hand. Overuse of this region commonly leads to conditions like tennis elbow (lateral epicondylalgia) or carpal tunnel syndrome if the body is not prepared.
Injury Prevention Tips for Fall Yard Work
Just like training for our sports, preparing your body for fall chores can help you avoid injuries and enjoy your time outdoors. Here are some basic tips to reduce the risk of injury while taking on these tasks:
1. Warm Up First
Before diving into your chores, treat your body like the athlete it is! A quick warm-up can help prevent pain and injury. Take a short walk, do some gentle stretching, and loosen up your muscles and joints to get the blood flowing. It’s tempting to just jump right in and get it all done at once, but you won’t regret getting things moving better first. If you can’t help yourself, that’s ok- just take a short break to do some specific stretching or warm-up movements after the first 5-10min of yard work. This way, you can get started and feel out what your body needs for that task.
2. Use Sound Lifting and Functional Movement Techniques
Lifting: Given the nature of yard work, it’s not always possible to be in a perfect position while lifting bulky, odd-shaped objects, but do your best to minimize risk in these situations.
Always practice sound core-bracing techniques. One of our specialties!
Get the object you're lifting as close to you as possible.
Stand downhill of the object whenever possible- like lifting off of an elevated surface rather than the floor.
Use hip hinge and knee bend strategies, rather than flexing your spine to bend over and get down low.
Utilize assistance from other people and tools like wheelbarrows, pinch bars, and power equipment whenever possible.
Raking: Although not particularly strenuous, the stress from raking comes little by little- we’re usually raking for longer periods of time, making it very repetitive and therefore easy to irritate things without even knowing in the moment.
Keep your spine neutral and core engaged- our trunks are always rotating back and forth, so do it under control and you’ll be fine.
Use a wide stance and smoothly shift weight from foot to foot.
Move your feet to position each stroke of the rake- try not to overreach.
Switch sides often to avoid overloading one side of your body- your hands, shoulders, core, and lower extremities will thank you later!
Chopping Wood: This one comes with some other inherent risks, so make sure you know what you’re doing to begin with and be careful with that thing!
Once again, BRACE YOUR CORE!!! This is an explosive, whole body movement where force is transferred through the trunk and spine- keep it tight for both safety and power.
Stand with feet wide (if you miss, the axe hits the ground not your toes).
Use a chopping block that will allow the axe to be mostly horizontal with your arms straight as it makes contact with the wood.
Keep the area around you clear to reduce tripping hazards and for easy clean-up/stacking afterwards.
3. Take Breaks and Pace Yourself
Yard work is exhausting, so take regular breaks to avoid fatigue. Fatigue can lead to poor form, which starts to stress the areas mentioned above and increases the risk of injury. Break your tasks into smaller chunks and avoid trying to tackle the whole yard in one day.
4. Use Ergonomic Tools
Ergonomic tools designed with special grips and proper leverage can reduce the strain on your body and make the task a lot more efficient- go physics!
5. Stay Hydrated, Remember to Eat, and Listen to Your Body
Even in cooler weather, your body needs to stay fueled to function optimally. We recommend scheduled breaks throughout your tasks to drink water, get a snack, and check in with how your body is feeling- all things we can forget about when we’re just trying to get the job done! In general, quit while you’re ahead because you can always finish it later.
When to Seek Help from a Physical Therapist
Sometimes, despite your best efforts, pain or injury can occur- we are no exception… It happens to us all. Here are some signs that it might be time to come see us for help:
Persistent Pain: Like with a long day on the mountain or tough workout, soreness will follow from time to time. But if the pain doesn’t go away after a few days of relative rest, limits you from other normal tasks, or gets worse with activity, it’s smart to consult with your PT to make a plan.
Limited Range of Motion: If you notice stiffness or a decreased ability to move certain joints, you probably have some inflammation that indicates that your body is trying to heal from an injury. If things don’t start moving better within a few days, or if you notice significant swelling and loss of mobility, you should seek treatment to make sure you’re on track to heal quickly.
Numbness or Tingling: If you feel numbness, tingling, or weakness in any part of your body, this is often a sign of nerve irritation. While most cases are not serious, it’s important to get things checked out and start with an appropriate treatment plan as soon as possible to get ahead of the issue.
At Snowbeast Performance, we specialize in helping athletes prevent and recover from injuries and perform at their best whether they’re at the mountain, in the gym, or on the front lawn. With the right preparation and body awareness, you can tackle it all without being set back by an injury. Remember that your body works just as hard when you’re raking leaves or stacking firewood as it does in training so treat it with the care it deserves.
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