Tips for Raking

If you live in the Redondo Beach area and have a deciduous tree, you know that you’ll soon have raking to do. Like any vigorous physical activity, there are ways to do it that minimize your chance of injury. At the Catalina Medical Center, we thought it would be a good idea to pass some tips along to our patients and anyone else who might soon have to do some yard work.


The first thing you’ll need to do is choose clothes that are form-fitting but allow air to permeate. Your shoes will need to be close-toed and well-supported. Get a rake that has a long enough handle for you to use without bending over, but that is lightweight. Before raking, do a five-minute warm-up to get blood moving through your limbs and be sure to tie back your hair and remove anything that could get caught.


When raking, stand with your knees unlocked and with one foot in front of the other in a scissor position. You’ll have to switch which hand is higher on the rake about every five minutes, which might also require you to switch which side of the leaf pile you stand on. When picking up leaves, squat down or bend down at your pelvis, not our lower back. Experiment with whether you can pick up the leaf bag before it is completely full, and when you are done, don’t forget to do a cool-down. If you do get injured, we can assist with chiropractic adjustments, cryotherapy, and ultrasounds, among other noninvasive treatments.


The Catalina Medical Center is located at 1919 S Catalina Ave, Redondo Beach, California, 90277. To schedule an appointment, visit Catalina Medical or call 310-378-7246.


 

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