Spring Cleaning

It is starting to look and feel like spring! I know that I am not the only one starting to pack up my winter items and dive into deep cleaning the house. But with the warm weather approaching, follow some of these Spring Cleaning tips so that you can enjoy the spring injury free!

Depending on the severity of your desire to declutter, cleaning up the house can be a very strenuous and taxing task! With whatever you need to do, like lifting, scrubbing, packing, or mulching, make sure you are prepared.

1. Recruit help

Enlist family members to help you accomplish your goals. It will make things go faster and then there are more people to help with any heavy lifting.

2. Lift with your legs, not you back.

I think I bring this up in every blog I write. It is so important to have proper lifting technique during these types of activities. When moving furniture, boxes, or dirt, make sure that you bend from your hips and knees and not just your back when moving an object.

3. Avoid repetitive tasks without breaks.

Try to avoid tendinitis symptoms by taking breaks when you have to perform a repetitive task, such as scrubbing or painting. These repetitive motions can lead to irritation and inflammation of a tendon.

4. Use a stool

If you are working in the garden for a long time, try bringing out a stool to sit on instead of leaning over the entire time.

5. Change the environment

When packing objects, try to bring the box onto a table for ease of access, instead of leaning over it. This will help to protect your back.

6. Don't over do it

The stories have it right when the tortoise beats the hare. Sometimes it is better to take it slow than to push through.  Take rest breaks when needed. Do not overfill trash cans, garden supplies, or boxes. Take more trips instead of rushing everything in one. If you can, spread the tasks out over multiple days.

Summary

Spring is a great time to declutter the house and freshen up your environment. Stay safe during the process and of course, if you have any questions or are in the Falls Church or surrounding area, be sure to stop in and say hello!

Author

Alana Hamilton Alana Hamilton is a physical therapist at Advantage Physical Therapy in Falls Church, Virginia. She is a proud Hokie from Virginia Tech with a major in Biology and a minor in psychology and sociology. Following graduation, she immediately got her doctorate in Physical Therapy from Radford University. She is an avid fan of Pilates, running, and hiking. On the weekends, she can be found hanging out with her family and baby as well as doing Spartan races with her old physical therapy classmates and friends. She is a big believer that during rehabilitation, "Motion is the Lotion" and that staying active is key to remaining healthy.