Smart Senior

Who doesn’t love fall? The weather is close to perfect and the fall colors are breathtaking. It is the time to enjoy sunny days and long drives in the country.
Alas, colorful leaves fall much too soon. Before we know it yards everywhere are buried under blankets of sodden leaves. It is time to rake and bag up every last one of them and send them on their way.
Yard work is good exercise but the noises from neighborhood Leaf Blowers are enough to drive you crazy. Whatever happened to good old fashioned yard work?
My husband still enjoys yard work the old fashioned way. He pulls on his gloves, ignores his creaky knees and arthritic fingers, and trundles out to the backyard every Saturday. Raking is hard work; muscle soreness and injuries are pretty common. It seems we need a plan.
Yard work needs to be approached scientifically. The experts all say:
• Warm up with some stretching exercises.
• Know that good posture is important and avoid vigorous twisting and turning. Repetition is the enemy.
• Pace yourself; take frequent breaks. Section off the larger yard and do small bites at a time. Have a plan, but try to refrain from tackling the whole project at once.
• Listen to your body.
Decide what you are going to do with your piles of leaves. When we were kids it was great fun. We would make huge piles and play in them for hours. I hope some of your chores are still fun for you, but more than likely you see them as a lot of hard work. This year make a party out of it and be sure to include a lot of treats.
• Be careful when bagging leaves, especially if wet. Work with manageable loads and remember that good posture is doubly important.
• Use a leaf scoop to fill your bags and lift carefully; keep the bag close to your body and lift using your legs.
Take your time, protect your joints and enjoy the process.
Be sure to modify or avoid activity that causes pain:
• find a different way of doing it
• cut down the time you do it
• use an ergonomic tool