As the leaves begin to fall in Chicago and in Lincoln Park with the weather becoming cooler (likely into October), many homeowners head outdoors to rake, bag, and prepare their yards for the winter. While fall yard work can be rewarding, it can also put a strain on your back if you’re not careful. Taking a few minutes on these days to stretch, loosen up your spine, hips, and shoulders can prevent injuries, keep your spine healthy, and keep your yard in shape. This blog will address how to protect your spine from injury and how chiropractic care can help to either prevent and/or minimize an injury.

Common Causes of Yardwork Back Pain

Yardwork often involves repetitive bending, lifting, and twisting, which are some of the biggest contributors to back pain. A few culprits include:

• Raking with poor posture – hunching over strains the lower back.

• Improper lifting – picking up heavy bags of leaves without bending your knees, hips; rather, bending at your back using poor mechanics.

• Repetitive motions – prolonged raking, bending, or twisting without breaks.

• Overexertion – doing too much yard work in one day.

Tips to Protect Your Back This Fall

Here are some simple ways to prevent back pain while tackling seasonal chores:

1. Warm Up First

Just like any other physical activity, mobilizing the large movable joints (neck, upper/middle back, hips, and shoulders) before you start helps prepare your muscles and loosens your joints. Taking 7-10 minutes involving different exercises to move through these joints reduces stiffness, improves movement, and warms up your muscles prior to beginning your yardwork.

2. Use the Right Tools

Choose tools with long handles to avoid hunching. Also, lightweight rakes and/or leaf blowers can reduce strain on your back and shoulders.

3. Practice Smart Raking

• Stand upright and keep your knees slightly bent.

• Engage your core (imagine blowing air into a balloon through your belly) consistently to support your back and trunk

• Switch sides regularly so you’re not always pulling from the same angle.

• Avoid twisting and bending your spine at the same time; instead, turn in the position where you have to bend and then bend

4. Lift With Care

When picking up bags or piles of leaves:

• Bend at your knees, not your waist.

• Keep the load close to your body (think of the Wheelbarrow analogy: the further your arms are away from you, the more you have to use your back to lift/carry the load)

• Engaging your glutes too (outside of just your core) creates more power when you have to lift and protects your spine

5. Take Frequent Breaks

It’s easy to lose track of time, but your body needs rest. Pause every 20–30 minutes to stretch, hydrate, and reset your posture.

6. Pace Yourself

Yardwork doesn’t have to be done all at once. Spreading tasks over several days reduces fatigue and lowers your risk of back pain.

When to Seek Help

If you notice soreness, sharp pain, or stiffness that doesn’t improve with rest/stretching, it may be time to see a chiropractor to help with your pain so you can get back to the other activities you enjoy.  Chiropractic manipulation, soft tissue manipulation (via Active Release Techniques), and corrective exercises can speed up recovery, address the muscle tension that is not allowing you to move so well, and give you the tools to prevent this from happening in the future.

✅ Bottom Line: Fall yardwork is a great way to stay active and enjoy the season, but your back shouldn’t pay the price. With proper technique, pacing, and self-care, you can keep both your yard and your spine in excellent shape.