Spring Clean Your Way to Better Health

It’s finally spring in Burnsville, MN! Most of the ice and snow is gone, and folks are ready to open their windows and clean out their houses after a long winter. Plus, we have Marie Kondo telling us decluttering inspires joy!

Let’s explore how decluttering and cleaning leads to better health. Plus bonus tips for keeping your back healthy and happy during your tidying-up.

A relaxed mind is a decluttered mind

You can declutter your house, but you might want to start with your mind, in the form of meditation. Harvard Health suggests meditation has benefits for:

• Lowering blood pressure
• Change chronic pain perception
• Improve cognitive and executive function or helping against fuzzy thinking

Cleaning is good for your health

Now that you have decluttered your mind, let’s move to your house. The added sunlight has us all being more active and ready to take on the house and yard spring cleaning.

Cleaning burns calories, helps you lose weight and strengthens your muscles. Added activity produces endorphins, which improves your mood. Did you know household cleaning burns about 50 calories every 15 minutes? That goes a long way toward maintaining a healthy weight!

Spring cleaning tips to give you joy not pain

As good as all that cleaning will make you feel, doing it incorrectly can cause you pain. Household cleaning activities can cause strain on your spine if you have poor posture when doing these repetitive movements, which could cause injury.

So, when you grab the vacuum or mop, the Australian Chiropractic Association offers these tips:

Warmup – Warming up your back with a little walk or starting with smaller tasks may help reduce injury. Avoid starting these big cleaning jobs early in the morning, allowing your body to be more flexible to address the tasks. Taking regular breaks as well can help by avoiding constant strain on your spine.

Straighten Up – Try to stand up straight when doing activities where you might normally hunch over, like vacuuming or mopping. Attempt these activities with your legs in a lunge position, while keeping your spine straight which may help prevent aches and improve your posture.

Share the Load – Reduce strain on your neck and back while doing the dishes by opening up the cupboard doors under the sink and placing a foot inside. This should help you squat lower, and straighten up your spine. Also, bend your knees when lifting. By lifting with your leg muscles (not your low back muscles only)

We might add switching it up to these tips. If you always dust and scrub with your right hand, consider using your left hand for a while. It can help to prevent unwanted strain.

Be mindful of your body. If you are having pains or limited mobility, please come in for an evaluation. We can then design a care plan that may include chiropractic adjustments, stretches or exercises.

You can request a chiropractic appointment online.

Here’s to a great spring!

Skyline Chiropractic
12940 Harriet Avenue S. Suite 240, Burnsville, MN, 55337