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Rake Your Northern Virginia Yard without Straining Your Back

Fall in Northern Virginia brings pleasant temperatures, colorful vistas, and — regrettably — the task of raking your leaves. While landowners can purchase leaf blowers and other gadgets to remove leaves from their property, raking is still the most effective way to rid your lawn of the carpet of debris that must be removed before snow starts to fall. Leaf raking is a strenuous job, but one that has to be done, so when undertaking the task, make sure you know how to properly rake your yard without compromising your health.

Raking leaves can lead to strain and injury to the back, wrists, and shoulders, leading to thousands of raking-related injuries every year. Raking also requires twisting, bending and lifting motions that utilize several different muscle groups, so improper technique can lead to both bone and muscle injuries. Ease the strain of raking by following the below tips:

• Stretch your muscles before raking, just as you would before any other physical activity.
• Use your legs to shift your weight rather than twisting your back.
• Employ a properly-sized rake for your height and strength. Rakes with thicker handles can decrease hand fatigue. Several types of ergonomically-shaped rakes are available on the market.
• Bend at the knees when picking up items.
• Wear gloves to avoid blisters.
• Vary your movements to prevent fatigue and strain to particular areas. Think of it as varying your routine while working out at the gym.
• Wear shoes with skid-resistant shoes to avoid slipping.
• Take frequent breaks instead of pushing yourself too hard.
• Stretch your muscles once more after the job is complete.

For the most effective and strain-free raking, make sure you rake deeply in order to remove the thatch — or layer of dead grass under the leaves — to maintain lawn health. Simply skinning the fallen leaves off the lawn surface leaves thatch behind, which can build up and create an even larger raking job down the road.

For more landscaping tips, consult Northern Virginia's Lost Creek Landscapes, providing a full suite of landscaping services throughout the Northern Virginia region. Lost Creek Landscapes is fully licensed and insured throughout Maryland, Virginia, and Washington DC and specializes in all aspects of landscape and masonry services, as well as native trees, shrubs, and plantings that thrive in the Northern Virginia area.