HOE WOES

'Tis the season. Tree-trimming, colorful yard ornaments and deer awareness. No, it's not THAT time of year. It's the spring-into-summer yard work madness - an exhausting marathon of work entailing hours not unlike those spent holiday shopping. It's trimming, planting and mulching by day, and languishing in the recliner with ice packs and a heating pad by night. Woe is I, you cry.

Woe is right, I say. That endless squatting, bending over, twisting with weighted shovels and thrusting hoes into southern clay are arduous. Muscles you didn't know you had are throbbing in perfect sync with your heartbeat. The icy drink in your hand moves between your lips and your hips, as you squirm in pain.

So what can you do to prevent this punishing aftermath besides hire your neighbor's lawn care guy? And what do you do when you're already in agony after tilling the yard?

I recommend adopting the mindset of a competitive athlete - a marathoner, for example. This runner has a 26k race coming up. Does he approach the starting line with a bowl of Fruit Loops in his belly and no more conditioning than accumulated walks to and from the mailbox? Not likely. Not only wouldn't he perform well, but it's certain he would injure himself. The point here is INJURY PREVENTION. Like the marathon race itself, hours of yard work entail prolonged stress to the body. Not a good idea if your body isn't conditioned and prepared.

To gear up your muscles for yard work, doing strengthening exercises that replicate those movements used in the specific activity is most effective. Ideally, this conditioning should be year round. Two months in advance of the season should be the minimum, but starting anytime is better than not starting at all. Movements such as squatting, bending over and twisting are endlessly repeated in yard work, so let's concentrate on those. I've selected compound exercises that use two or more major muscle groups at the same time.

GARDEN SQUAT: Set up a 12" step on the floor. Place two 10-15lb. kettlebells on it. Squat with your legs slightly wider than shoulder distance apart, knees never going forward of the toes, and thighs lowering no deeper than parallel to the floor. With each hand grasping one of the weights, lower one weight to the floor, then the other; lift one back up onto the step and then the other. Stand up. Repeat 12-15 times.

GOOD MORNING: Stand with feet slightly wider than shoulder distance apart and hold an 8-10lb. medicine ball to your chest. Bend your knees slightly. Keep your back straight and contracted tightly as if you are squeezing a pencil between your shoulder blades. Flex the body forward at the hip, not at the waist. Now slowly lower your upper body until it is parallel to the floor, and then slowly return to an upright position. Repeat 12-15 times.

HIGH WOOD CHOP: Stand with feet slightly wider than shoulder distance apart holding an 8-10lb. medicine ball with straight arms down towards the floor. Swing the ball in an upward twisting motion keeping the arms straight and not letting the ball go behind the body. Resembling a golf swing, let your hips, knee and foot on the opposite side pivot as you swing. Repeat 12-15 times on one side and then switch sides.

Remember, no matter how well you condition your body in preparation for yard work - or any physical activity - stretching afterward is crucial. So before you pour yourself into that recliner or pour yourself an icy, pain-killing beverage, stretch those worn out muscles, holding each stretch for at least thirty seconds. Stiff won't even begin to describe your muscles and joints, never mind the drink you'll crave, if you don't.

So no more hoe woes from here on in. Start training now for next season and keep it going all year long. It's that, or start saving your pocket change and hire the professional hoer next spring.