The Loop Newspaper - Tehachapi's Online Community News & Entertainment Guide

Spring is here and it appears that winter will not make it this year. The weather is beautiful so your body had better be ready for all the summer activities that are about to descend upon you and your family.

Think about it. During the winter you can take it a little easier when it comes to the areas around your house or property. So as the spring and summer approach you need to start ramping up your efforts to maintain the lawn and the shrubbery to make your property look great. Almost every day in spring and summer, when I ask a patient, “How did you hurt your back”, I get the answers like, “I was pulling weeds” or “digging in the garden” or using the weed wacker. Those weeds just hide under the ground until the sun shines on them and then, BLAM, they start coming up by the billions. You had better be ready. I realize that those people who have horses never get a break from the work associated with those horses. Winter or summer, spring or fall, 24/7, there is no let up for you. However, along with that constant horse related work you do, you now have all the extra work that the rest of us have to do. You horse people had better be ready too.

Then there are those people that like to get involved in the many sporting opportunities that are so prevalent here in the Tehachapi area. The variety of activities available are too numerous to list separately, but those of us that participate are very aware of what is available. If you are going to participate you had better be ready.

No matter what the activity or what time of the year, it is always important to have your body in the best shape it can be. You don’t have to spend hours in the gym like a pro, but you do have to take some time to exercise and stretch so you are warmed up and loose enough to prevent injury. All serious athletes stretch and warm up before the game or activity. It doesn’t seem to matter if they are professional, amateur or a weekend warrior. Athletes understand the warm up process. The person going out to mow the lawn, pull the weeds or dig in the dirt doesn’t seem to understand the concept at all. These people need to think of themselves as “gardening athletes” or “scrub clearing” athletes and go through the same warm up process as the baseball player or the golfer.

The goal should be to stay fit, warm up and prevent injury so you don’t get put on the disabled list. If you can’t do the job that needs to be done, you have to hire someone else to do the job for you. You know that they cannot do the job as well as you can.

As always, I recommend that you all get your spine checked for balance and flexibility before you begin any of these abovementioned activities. A good healthy spine will help prevent sprains and strains, and aches and pains. If you do overexert yourself and sprain something you can always come into the office and we will get you back in the game/yard as quickly as possible.