For many people, cleaning the house is something we typically have to fit in around a million other daily tasks, often meaning it can be a bit of a rush job.
But overreaching with the vacuum, or bending over to clean the washing machine can catch up with you, and osteopaths are warning that we could cause long-term damage and pain if we aren’t careful.
Osteopath Anisha Joshi recently posted on her Instagram reel: “Over the last 13 years that I’ve been a qualified osteopath I’ve seen soooo many of you come in after cleaning the house and ‘pulling something’ or ‘straining something’.
“You’d never think that hoovering, cleaning the bath or ironing could lead to a day off work and sleepless nights! SO here are some tiny adjustments to make you mindful of how you do things.”
She has shared some tips to ensure we are not unintentionally causing damage while cleaning, starting with advising people never to lean into the bath when cleaning as it can cause strain to the lower back, and recommends sitting or kneeling close to the tub.
She next said that while vacuuming, instead of staying in one spot and reaching to get the hard-to-reach spots, move with the vacuum to get proper coverage and save yourself from straining your back.
Next is the washing up, but leaning down to the sink can also practise bad posture, and instead lift the dishes out of the sink and bring them closer to you to wipe them clean.
Her last tip is to ensure that the ironing board is set at a better height, as many people will set to the ironing with the board too low.
“The ironing board always needs to be higher than you think,” she said. “Stand tall and don’t bend into it.”
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