Ah, those first warm breezes of spring! Soon even the most devout winter couch potato’s dreams turn from football on television to those long-harbored visions of a major landscaping project, exterior and interior home refreshing, and maybe even a spring purge of those overcluttered areas of the house or garage.    

A word of caution before you jump right in!  Weekend Warrior Syndrome is real and can be painful.  Sudden activity shifts after a long winter of hibernation need to be approached with care.

And who knew that weekend warrior syndrome can also be seasonal? Thousands of injuries, severe sunburns, and other afflictions are suffered every spring when formerly sedentary folks get outside and begin gardening, climbing ladders, using lawn equipment such as mowers, and, in the process, breathing fumes from chemicals.

At V.F. McNeil Insurance, we understand the emerging warriors of spring, and we would like to offer some simple advice that may help prevent your spring dreams from turning into spring pains. Review our list of tips before you get started: 

• Warm up before working: It goes without saying that staying active throughout the winter and not just on the weekends, is your best defense from sustaining injuries.  However, if you’re not much of a gym person or maybe you’ve been slacking a bit, you’ll certainly need a warm up before each task.  A bit of moderate exercise and stretching will help to warm and loosen up those tight muscles before easing into harder tasks. Just watch baseball teams at spring training — they do plenty of exercise and run many laps before picking up those gloves, balls and bats. 

• Wear proper clothing: You want to be comfortable, but protected from the sun, and your clothing should not be so loose it risks catching on lawnmowers, hedgers, trimmers, or other outdoor equipment. 

• Use proper sunscreen: That spring sun can be hotter than it feels, so remember to reapply the lotion at regular intervals.  Do NOT OMIT.  You will be sorry and sore.  

• Use protective gear: If you are performing tasks involving flying debris, paint, chemical sprays, or contact with potentially harmful plants and thorns, always wear proper eye, hand, head and other protective gear.  This also helps to avoid poison ivy.  Yes, you can certainly get it even if spring has not fully sprung!  

• Stay hydrated the right way: A lack of hydration and electrolytes can contribute to muscle soreness and injury.  As your muscles work harder, they demand more oxygen and in turn, need more blood pumping around them.  Because your blood consists of a high content of water, you must stay hydrated for good muscle health.  This means drinking the right way, not just to quench your thirst.  According to WebMD, you should drink up before, during and after any vigorous activity.  At least 16 ounces an hour or two prior to your activity is appropriate.  Continue with around 4-6 ounces every 15-20 minutes during and another 16 ounces after your activity.  This will also help you avoid fatigue.  Generally basic water is fine unless you will be sweating a lot and engaging in vigorous activity for more than an hour or so.  In this case, you can add in something like Gatorade to replace lost electrolytes.

• Pace yourself: “No pain, no gain” may be a motivating mantra for top athletes, but it’s terrible advice for us regular folks. Pain is your body’s way of telling you to ease off before things get worse. Especially with sharp or repetitive pains, take the hint and take a break. That tree or walkway has waited all winter; it can wait till tomorrow. 

This spring, V.F. McNeil Insurance, a Trusted Choice® independent insurance agent, hopes you remember to take good care of yourself as well as your home and yard. While we enjoy helping our clients with home insurance coverages for when things go wrong, we also believe no pleasant day outdoors should have an unpleasant ending.  

About V.F. McNeil Insurance

V.F. McNeil Insurance is a Trusted Choice® independent insurance agency that provides its customers with a range of quality insurance products for the needs of families, individuals, and businesses in Connecticut.

Sources: 
https://www.trustedchoice.com/