Household Chores for a Healthy Back
This is your back, and I demand you quit cleaning your house. You are just not being kind to me! Could you hire housekeepers starting tomorrow? No? Not in this lifetime? Well then at least follow these healthy back tips for household cleaning.
Dishes/counter: Try to adjust your level at the counter to where it is approximately at belt level. As you stand there leaning slightly forward with your arms extended either cutting or washing there is a great stress placed on the lower spine. To relieve this stress, either put rest one leg upon a stepstool, or open up a cabinet door a prop up on the ledge. Of course, in a perfect world, adjust the height of your working surfaces to fit your body next time you re-do your kitchen. Make the height of the working surfaces to the bottom of your elbows when they are bent and shrugged up.
Vacuuming: Unless you have a roomba, you will benefit from learning to vacuum in a manner that your back will tolerate. Instead of pushing and pulling quickly, twisting your back, take your time. Extend your arm and if you take a step forward and back, you can rotate full body. Just be aware of that twisting and extending, and avoid it as you go.
Tub scrubbing: You kneel down, maybe with a cushion to protect your knees, but your back is screaming for protection. Do not lean over the tub and again reach inside. Outstretched arms = strain on the back. Get inside the tub instead.
Cleaning the fan: or painting the ceiling. Reaching again, up above with outstretched arms. Arching your back increases the pressure. Choose a tall ladder that is the appropriate height for the job you are doing.
Laundry time: Stop carrying the dirty laundry in a basket down a flight of stairs. Many reasons to avoid this: #1 You cannot see your feet and risk falling. Your back will hate you if you do that. #2 Your arms are outstretched increasing your back pressure. #3 You may tend to sway your back, adding undue pressure. Instead, toss them in a bag and let it roll down the stairs. It’s ok to bring the laundry back upstairs in a basket if you must, because it is not as painful falling up the stairs facing them as it is facing down the stairs and falling backward or forward and downward.
Lifting: I KNOW you know not to bend over. But contrary to popular belief, bending both knees, the squat. This moves your center of gravity to the front, leaves you out of balance, and stretching out the arms again to strain your back. Instead, a good chiropractor will tell you to kneel on one knee with the other one bent, and then raise yourself and your load up.
Just a few adjustments to avoid those chiropractic adjustments.
Filed under: Management