Leaves are beginning to fall, yet the grass still needs mowing. It's almost time to give your yard the usual fall cleanup and to plant bulbs for the spring. Looks like your spare time is booked solid. The good news? You've got a great workout routine ready and waiting, so grab your rake and get started!

Yard work enhances your endurance, flexibility and strength and is a perfect way to control your weight. Raking and bagging leaves, mowing your lawn and pushing a wheelbarrow help your heart, lungs and circulatory system to stay healthy.

Bending and stretching allow your muscles to remain relaxed while joints are mobile. Digging in the garden, hauling leaves and carrying branches strengthen your muscles and bones.

If you haven't been keeping up with the yard work and your body's not used to it, do check with your doctor before grabbing that shovel. In fact, be sure to check with your doctor before starting any physical activity or exercise program.

Burning calories

Raking, bagging and carrying leaves burn about 330 calories per hour. Clearing and digging can burn approximately 400. Using a manual mower burns about 490 calories, while a power mower burns 300. Laying sod, pulling weeds and planting trees use up 360.

Yard work also helps to relieve stress, providing time for problem solving or daydreaming. Seeing the results of your work can also give you a feeling of accomplishment.

Similarities between yard work and traditional exercise:

• Push mowers exercise leg, arm and shoulder muscles.
• Digging involves weight lifting, abdominal stretching and squatting
• Digging requires as much energy as aerobics and swimming.
• Weeding involves forearm stretches and squatting.
• Carrying wood, clearing land, hauling branches and laying sod give you a workout equivalent to stationary bicycling.
• You can burn as many calories in 45 minutes of yard work as in 30 minutes of aerobics.

Health benefits for older adults

Even moderate levels of physical activity - such as raking leaves - can benefit older adults. Such activity can prevent or delay many chronic diseases and conditions, including diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure. It can also help reduce the risk for colon cancer.

Exercise and osteoporosis

According to the International Osteoporosis Foundation, impact and weight bearing exercises are best for maintaining healthy bone mass. Some of these kinds of activities include skipping, jogging or weight training.

Raking without pain

When raking leaves, it's important to prevent back injuries and muscle strain. Here are some techniques to reduce injury:

• Warm up with a short walk before you begin, followed by light stretching.
• Avoid twisting. Don't bend at the waist and reach for leaves. Instead, keep your feet shoulder-width apart with one foot forward and rake the leaves in a backward direction, toward yourself.
• Don't try to do the entire job in one day. You wouldn't run 10 miles the first time you tried jogging, so don't attempt to rake the entire yard your first time out.
• Stop and take stretching breaks to rest your muscles. Put your hands on the small of your back. Keep your knees straight and bend backwards. Lift your arms over your head and reach skyward.
• Vary movements while raking. Alternate arm positions so one arm is not doing all the work.
• Bend at the knees (rather than at the waist) to lift leaf bags. Avoid twisting your back as you lift. If you have to turn, rotate your entire body.
• When you are finished working, stretch again to relieve muscle tension or soreness.

View the original Yard work - the ultimate fall workout article on myOptumHealth.com  

As the leaves turn different colors and the weather becomes cooler, many Americans begin to engage in outdoor cleanup. Consider the number of Americans injured in yard work accidents every autumn and you may begin to suspect that "fall" is actually short for "pitfall." Fall, it seems, is becoming the season for back injuries, tumbles from ladders and lawn mower accidents.

"Approximately 42 million people seek emergency room treatment for injuries each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention," says Brett Taylor, MD, spokesperson for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. "Many of these injuries can happen while performing seemingly routine tasks, like autumn yard work."

The AAOS offers a few simple tips to avoid common autumn injuries while in the yard:

To prevent injury from raking, be sure to:

• Warm up for at least 10 minutes with some stretching and light exercise.
• Use a rake that is comfortable for your height and strength. Wear gloves or use rakes with padded handles to prevent blisters.
• Keep your vision free of impediment, like hats or scarves and beware of large rocks, low branches, tree stumps or uneven surfaces.
• Vary your movement, alternating your leg and arm positions often. When picking up leaves, bend at the knees, not the waist.
• Wet leaves can be slippery; wear shoes or boots with slip-resistant soles.
• Do not overfill leaf bags, especially if the leaves are wet. To avoid back injury, you should be able to carry bags comfortably.
• Never throw leaves over your shoulder or to the side. The twisting motion required to do so places undue stress on your back.

To avoid lawnmower-related injuries be sure to:

• Make sure the engine is off and cool before you begin any maintenance work or refuel your lawnmower.
• Never use your hands or feet to clear debris from under a lawnmower. Use a stick or broom handle instead. Likewise, never touch the blades with your hands or feet, even if the engine is off. The blade can still move and cause serious injury.
• Never remove safety devices, shields or guards on switches.
• Do not leave a lawnmower running unattended.
• Wear protective gear like goggles and gloves, boots and long pants when mowing. Never mow barefoot or in sandals.
• Do not consume alcoholic beverages and mow. 

To stay safe on a ladder:

• Inspect the ladder for loose screws, hinges or rungs. Clean off accumulated mud, dirt or liquids.
• Make sure all four legs rest on a firm, level surface. Avoid uneven ground or soft, muddy spots.
• Before you climb, be sure all ladder locks and safety braces are engaged.
• Never sit or stand on the top of the ladder or on its pail shelf. These areas were not designed to carry your weight.
• Choose the right ladder for the job. A step stool or utility ladder is good for working at low or medium heights, for jobs such as washing windows. Extension ladders are appropriate for outdoors to reach high places, for when you need to clean gutters or inspect the roof.
• Be aware of your balance. Be careful when moving items off a shelf while you're standing on a ladder. If you have to stretch or lean to reach your work area, it would be safer to climb down and reposition the ladder closer to your work.