Minimizing strain while spring cleaning

With the arrival of spring, we often start thinking of all the tidying up we need to do around the house or in the yard. Many of these tasks require repetitive actions such as bending, reaching, lifting, and twisting, which if done improperly could lead to injuries.

Keep these following tips in mind to minimize your chance of injury:

1. ​WARM UP. Prepare your body for the tasks ahead and treat your spring cleaning like any other physical activity with a brief warm up. Start with a simple walk around the house followed up by some light stretches.
2. MAINTAIN PROPER ALIGNMENT. When performing the tasks ahead, keep your alignment in mind to reduce strain and repetitive stress.
3. BREAK UP YOUR TASKS. For larger tasks, or heavy jobs, try to break the activity up into small sections to minimize strain on your body.

Source: Canadian Chiropractic Association