28 SPRING 2015 n ARBOR AGE www.arborage.com
HEALTH AND WELLNESS
Preventing
Low-back Injury
n BY JOHN AMTMANN,
WITH DALTON GENSCH
I recently gave several presentations
on preventing low-back injury for
miners in Butte, Mont. Like the
arborist industry, the mining industry
is fi lled with tough men doing tough
work. When I asked several of the
miners about when they plan on
retiring, I could see them working
out the calculations and gaining some
understanding of the importance of
taking care of themselves.
Think about it, if the average age of death of American males is
about 75, and most of us are retiring at about 65, then that leaves 10
good years left to enjoy the fruits of our labor. But that's not the full
story. Statistics show that the last eight years of our lives are spent
with compromised health or reduced quality of life. It is kind of
depressing to think that the fruits of our labor will only be enjoyable
for two years before we begin a signifi cant battle staying healthy
enough to enjoy life. So, what can be
done to improve the quality of life for
a longer period after retirement?
Understand that the choices
we make today will affect our
health in the future. For overall
health, it's of supreme importance
that arborists participate in three
different activities that will have a
positive affect:
1) Eat healthy, with generous
proportions fruits, vegetables, healthy sources of protein and other
nutritious foods.
2) Exercise — follow the guidelines that we've written about
in this and previous articles to promote heart health, as well as to
maintain muscular strength and endurance.
3) Maintain/improve fl exibility by participating in exercises
that stretch the muscles in a healthy manner.
To maintain a healthy
back, it is vital to maintain
overall fi tness and pay close
attention to lifting mechanics.
