Tips to Avoid Muscle Strain from Spring Yard Work & Gardening

It's finally spring: time to clean up the yard and get the garden beds ready. But before you start digging in the dirt, make sure that your body is ready by stepping up your exercise routine. The repeated bending, pushing and pulling of yard work can be very strenuous on the lower back and core muscles, especially if you’ve been inactive, according to the experts at Just Lift Fitness in Clarendon Hills.

“Being flexible and having good core strength can help your body tolerate lots of repetitive movements like raking and hoeing,” said Linnea Lones, a certified personal trainer who owns the personal training studio with her business partner, Jackie Errico. “And the right exercise techniques can minimize the risk of strain on muscles and any associated discomfort.”

Here are some tips from Just Lift Fitness on how you can prepare yourself to get down and dirty outside this spring:

• Before you even start your yard work, prep your body for more strenuous activity by adding some strength training to your day. Just two or three workout sessions a week at home or in the gym can quickly improve muscle mass, bone strength and joint health.
• Be sure to focus on your core. A strong core resists lower back pain and muscle injuries, and it stabilizes your trunk and is essential for good balance.
• Know your body. Are your knees stiff? Is your lower back tight when bending? Focus on those areas as you stretch and warm up to get ready for the repetitive movement of yard work.
• As you begin to work outdoors, be mindful of how your body is completing tasks. Pay attention to the proper way to squat, kneel, stand, bend and lift. Breathe in as you squat down with your knees and exhale as you stand up, pushing through your heels. Lift and bend with the legs and hips, not the back. Hinging at your hips is safe when you keep a bend in your knees and pull back your upper back.
• When you’re done for the day, let your body actively recover. It’s important to promote blood flow into the areas of the body you’ve just worked, so stretch and massage your muscles with a foam roller or a massage gun. Or indulge yourself with a full body massage at the spa.
• Feeling stiff the next day? Don’t let that stop you. Make sure to increase your hydration; move your body to increase blood flow to the areas that are sore; and make sure you’re getting enough sleep because that’s when your body will heal. Go to bed earlier or take short naps to replenish.

Before you begin tending to your yard and garden this spring, plan to spend some time tending to your own well-being, too.

About Just Lift Fitness

Just Lift Fitness, located at 154 Burlington Avenue in Clarendon Hills, offers personal training, small group private training, nutrition coaching and online services - including anywhere across the globe through their mobile fitness app. Their trainers take a holistic approach to health and fitness and create a personalized program for each client.

On May 10, Just Lift Fitness will celebrate the grand opening of its second studio, located at 200 Park Avenue in Clarendon Hills.

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