How to avoid straining your back with raking this fall.

Now that autumn is upon us, you may find yourself out in your yard having to rake up all the leaves that have fallen. Here are 3 main posture tips to keep in mind when raking to decrease your risk of injury:

1. Keep a split-stance position (one foot in front of the other) instead of having both feet together and just using your back/arms to rake. This will increase your base of support and allow you to better utilize your legs when raking.

2. Focus on contracting your core as you reach out your arms. Not only will this help prevent overuse of your superficial back muscles, but it will also help give you the extra power you need to scoop up those pesky wet leaves ;).

3. Think about shifting your weight back towards your heels as you rake the leaves in. This will encourage more glute activation so you're not overworking your rotator cuff.

Happy raking!