Spring Cleaning Safety Tips
Spring is in the air. Along with the warmer weather spring also brings in a sudden desire (or need) for spring cleaning. We’ve had a long winter here in Saratoga, and if you haven’t been as active as you’d like to have been you should proceed with caution. Some spring cleaning tasks can be hard on your body – and your spine. So, if you’ve got the urge (or need) to do some spring cleaning, here are some safety tips to remember.
1. Stretch First
If you’re like many people you haven’t been too active in the winter. So jumping into a lot of activity in the spring may be a surprise to your muscles. Before you jump into anything too physical it’s a good idea to warm your body up with some stretching. Here are some simple back exercises to try.
2. Use Proper Lifting Techniques
Lifting heavy objects incorrectly puts you at risk for a spine injury. That’s why it’s important to always use proper lifting techniques. This means, bend down with your knees, grab the object, and then straighten your legs to lift up. With this technique your leg muscles bear the burden of the additional weight from the object you’re lifting and not your back.
3. Wear Good Shoes
Whether you’re doing a spring cleanup in the yard or cleaning inside the house wearing proper shoes is important. When you have properly fitting shoes they help support your body and prevent unnecessary strain on your spine. In addition, making your shoes have a decent sole is important for preventing slips, twists and falls.
4. Ladder Safety
After car accidents, falls are the 2nd most common cause of spine injuries according to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center. Falls from ladders is one of the most common types of falls leading to spinal cord injury. Use proper ladder safety when cleaning out your gutters or accessing your roof to avoid a fall. Someladder safety tips include:
- don’t use broken ladders
- make sure the base of the ladder is placed firmly on the ground
- the distance from the base of the ladder to the object it’s resting against should be about 1/4 the height of the usable portion of the ladder
For more ladder safety tips, see the OSHA website.
5. Take Frequent Breaks
Repetitive motion injuries are another common source of back pain. Whether you’re raking leaves or scrubbing floors repetitive motion can put unnecessary strain on muscles and soft tissue and lead to pain. To help prevent these types of injuries it’s a good idea to stretch before any physical labor and to take frequent breaks to give your body a rest.
So, armed with these safety tips you’re all ready to get up, stretch and get started on your big spring cleanup! Just remember, if you’re body’s not used to too much physical activity don’t overdo. Take it a little at a time and your body will thank you for it.
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