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Physical Activities / Household Chores

  • Warm up and cool down before and after physical activity like playing sports, raking, gardening, and shoveling snow.
  • When working with hand-held yard equipment, make sure that the machine you are using has a strap. Place the strap over your head and shoulder on the opposite side of your body from the machine and switch the machine from one side of your body to the other as often as possible. Use electric rather than gas-powered machines whenever possible; they are much lighter.
  • When washing dishes, open the cabinet beneath the sink, bend one knee, and put your foot on the shelf under the sink. Lean against the counter for support.
  • When ironing, place one foot on a small stool or a book.
  • When vacuuming, put all your weight on one foot, then step forward and back with the other foot as you push the vacuum. Use your back foot as a pivot when you turn.