Don’t “Fall” Into Bad Habits During Fall & Spring Clean-up

Make sure you don’t “fall” into bad habits during fall and spring clean-up activities this changing season. When the leaves are falling or when the snow has just melted, it’s time to clean up your yard, replant, cut the grass for the last time and pick up leaves.  Here are a few tips for doing this well:

Raking:

• Ensure you use a rake with a long enough handle so you can stand up straighter.
• Throw the rake out in front of you and pull it back straight.  Don’t twist as you are raking.  Keep your legs separated so you have good balance.
• Picking up leaves – bend at your hips and knees and keep your lower back straight, shoulders back and chest proud.  If you can wheel your compost bin around to where you are, then put your leaves, branches, grass, etc. directly into it.  This will avoid having to carry bags of heavy materials to the bin or the street.

Trimming Branches:

• Use the proper tool for the job – if needing a ladder, ensure you use proper ladder safety and carry it close to your body.
• Don’t extend too far out if trying to cut branches and ensure you don’t twist.  Keep your body facing your work.
• When picking up cut branches, bend at the knees and hips.

Moving / Planting Plants:

• Ensure you do this before the ground freezes.  If you live in Calgary, the snow has already begun (far too soon).
• Use the right shovel, including one with a long-enough handle.
• If your plant / bush is large and the roots are deep, you may need help to dig deep enough or to pull it out.  If pulling, ensure you have your legs far enough apart for good balance and use your leg muscles by moving your whole body back and forth rather than just tugging with your upper body.
• Make sure you keep your back in a good position while doing this.  If you are lucky enough to have raised planters, you won’t have to bend all the way down to the ground. 
• If you are working low to the ground, use knee pads or a foam pad to put your knees onto so you can keep your back in its natural curves.  Kneeling on one knee and having one foot out in front of you helps keep you balanced and “neutral”.
• Be smart about moving things by using tools like a wheelbarrow to carry plants rather than lifting and carrying multiple items.
• Wear good gloves to avoid cuts.
• Consider doing some stretches for your back and shoulders after strenuous activity.  Send us an email and request our industrial stretching sheet for some ideas.  We would be happy to send you one.

Organize:

• This is the perfect time to put things into storage in the right locations.  Reorganizing boxes of Christmas decorations while you are putting away summer furniture and cushions will make it easier to get access to those items in a few months when you need them so you can avoid extra lifting.
• Put heavier items on waist-high shelves and lighter items on higher or lower shelves.  More often used items should stay in close, easy to access areas.
• In the spring, if you are taking items out of storage, ensure you are lifting properly.  Hopefully you organized properly in the fall so you don’t have to move too many things out of the way.  

And most of all, enjoy the season.  If it is spring, we are all eager to get out and start planting, but you want to be able to enjoy it fully and not be hurt.  If it is fall season, the beauty of this time of year is incredible but it can be very fleeting.  And before we know it, many of us will be surrounded by white.  And then we have to worry about hurting our backs snow shoveling!!