Now that summer is in full swing, people are outside more enjoying the activities they love. Our summers are short, so people want to get the most out of the nice weather. However, sometimes our summers can be interrupted by unexpected injuries or painful episodes that interfere with what we want to do outside. In order to reduce the risk of this happening, this article will provide three practical tips that help reduce the chance of pain and injury.

Injuries and pain occur when our bodies are not prepared for the activity at hand.

Pain usually settles in after performing an activity we don’t do throughout the year. One of the most common injuries I see in practice is to the low back after gardening.  Because we don’t garden all year, our bodies are not used to the constant bending and lifting involved with this task.  Putting our joints and muscles through this kind of activity can result in injury or simply cause a lot of soreness and discomfort after the task is complete. Here’s how to reduce the chance of this happening:

Stretch and move often

At the very least we should be stretching before doing something our bodies are not used to.  This limbers up the muscles and draws blood flow to the area you are stretching.  Keeping the muscles loose helps them to their job and reduces strain on them during activities.  A brief warm up before can go a long way in preventing injuries.

If you are planning to garden, gently stretch the low back by bending over to touch your toes, arching backwards with your hands on your hips and rotating side to side.  Each position can be held for 15 – 30 seconds and repeated a few times.  It does not have to be a complex stretching routine, there are simple warm ups for every kind of activity.

Although stretching before doing activities is useful, ideally we would be stretching and exercising on a regular basis.  Those who do have much fewer injuries and when they do get injured, they recover faster.  Again, this does not have to be a complex exercise routine, but I always encourage people to find an exercise routine that they enjoy so that they can stick with it.

20 minutes of yoga, or 30 minutes of brisk walking each day can provide a huge benefit to your body, not only for injury prevention but also for our overall physical and mental health.

See a chiropractor regularly

There are many things we can do to prevent injuries like exercising and stretching on a regular basis, but in order to have the best chance at reducing injuries, you should see a chiropractor to get your joints and muscles assessed.  They will be able to check each area, including your hips, knees and shoulders etc, to make sure your joints and muscles are in good shape for activities. As a Functional Range Release practitioner myself, I have learned how to diagnose, and then assign a specific care plan to people who are looking to be involved in certain sports or other activities and who want to reduce the chance of injury.

This begins by thoroughly evaluating each joint and muscle group involved with the particular activity and then recommending a plan of care with specific exercises so that joints and muscle become stronger.  This type of assessment unveils any weaknesses someone might have so that these areas can be worked on over time.  Of course, spinal adjustments are important too, and help to keep our spines moving the way they should, which will reduce injuries to this area of the body and others.

Take Breaks

One of the easiest things you can do to prevent injuries is to take it slow and take breaks often.  When people do something such as gardening, they tend to not stop until the job is done.  However, this is when injuries are bound to happen.  Our bodies are not used to these kinds of activities and when we do them without stopping or taking our time, our muscles and joints are not able to handle it.

A good rule of thumb to follow when gardening is to take only light loads, rest for 10 -15 minutes every hour and if you can, get help to lighten the load.  Remember, that there is no rush and getting it done right away is not worth the pain later.

I hope you found this article helpful, if you or anyone you know is prone to injuries or has injured themselves, then I would encourage you to seek an appointment with a reputable chiropractor or physiotherapist in your area.