by Regan Sebolt, ATC

During the summer months, we tend to spend a lot of time in our backyards. Maintenance and curation of a beautiful outdoor space can be taxing on the body, but it doesn’t have to be! Whether your gardening, mowing, hauling mulch, or trimming hedges, most outdoor yardwork involves some bending and awkward positioning. But by becoming more aware of body positioning, we can save ourselves a lot of discomfort, especially during this busy outdoor season.

In The Zone

The Green Zone is the space you should try to position yourself in while working. This zone – spanning from your shoulders to your hips and about one foot in front of your body – reduces strain and allows for maximum efficiency and power. Staying in the Green Zone as much as possible helps reduce your chance of injury.

Keep It Green

Examples of how to maintain that Green Zone while doing yard work include:

• Use the golfer’s lift to pick up small items like a trowel.
• Stay level with what you’re working on. For example, kneel to weed instead of standing and bending over. Try using a knee pad or old yoga mat.
• Use ergonomic tools. For instance, use a ladder when trimming tall hedges.
• Take the extra steps to walk around obstacles instead of overreaching. For example, walk around to the other side of a raised bed instead of stretching across it.

Sow Smart

We understand that staying in the Green Zone 100% of the time isn’t realistic, especially when working outdoors. And that’s okay. The goal isn’t perfection. It’s awareness. The more you catch yourself reaching too far or bending in a way that strains your body, the more you can adjust and return to safer, stronger positioning. So when you find yourself out of position, don’t sweat it. Just be smart about it:

• Pick a few flowers, take a break, then go back for more.
• After pulling weeds for a few minutes, switch to a standing task like watering or pruning.
• Use a tool to remove weeds, minimizing the repetitive motion of pinching and pulling with the thumb and index finger.
• Rake leaves or spread mulch in short bursts, switching sides every few minutes. Similarly, alternate hands when digging or trimming to avoid overusing one side.
• Check your posture when you stand up. If you’ve been crouched or bent, a few seconds of standing tall can make a difference.

Did you know you can reduce some of your yard work by planting native species?

Native plants have so many benefits! These plants help support local wildlife and pollinators, reducing the need for fertilizer. They have been genetically adapted to your area for thousands of years so they require no irrigation. A great benefit is they are perennial plants, meaning you plant once and enjoy them year after year.

Regan Sebolt, ATC || Regan graduated from the University of Vermont prior to working 3 years at a non-profit that helped to rehabilitate people with spinal cord injuries. She is an avid surfer, kiteboarder, and snowboarder.

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Be sure to check out our other blogs for further injury prevention education and tips for the industrial athlete from Work Right NW!