by Steve Infanti
Scripps Howard News Service
Q: I stretch before I do any major projects in the yard like raking leaves or shoveling snow. My wife thinks this is totally unnecessary because raking leaves is not "real exercise." What do you think?
A: My advice is to stretch even if you're handing a neighborhood teen $20 for raking the leaves for you. Since raking leaves involves both physical exertion and repetitive movements, it should be approached with the same awareness and precautions as "real exercise," advises Dr. Jason Conviser, an exercise physiologist and vice president of clinical services at Bally Total Fitness.
Conviser says that most people can avoid the aching backs and sore arms by following a few basic steps to prevent injury and muscle strain:
- Before starting, warm up with a light activity, such as walking, and some light stretching. You should always warm up your muscles before stretching them.
- Pace yourself. If the job is large, do it in shifts and take breaks.
- Drink plenty of fluids before, during and after raking.
- Don't overstuff the bags of leaves so that they're too heavy to carry comfortably.
- After finishing the job, do some more stretches.
"And don't forget, when the raking is done and the leaves are gone, make a point to remember these precautions. They will be needed again for shoveling snow," reminds Conviser.
If you're one of the nearly 40 percent of people over 55 who do no leisure-time physical activity, then you should get a full physical, including a graded exercise test, before attacking those leaves in the back yard, says Dr. Dwight Davis, past president of the Pennsylvania Delaware affiliate of the American Heart Association and a member of the medical staff of the Milton Hershey Medical Center.
"Once you are cleared to begin, exercise at an intensity appropriate for you. Most important of all, find a companion to do the work with you, so that if you begin to start experiencing warning signs of a heart attack, some one will be able to call for medical help," says Davis.
(Send your questions to Steve Infanti, "A Fit Life" Column, 801e BAB, University Park, PA 16802 or via e-mail to SCInfanti@Compuserve.com.)
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