Working Up To It (A Guide for Women and Men)

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Furthermore, correct deep breathing can be an important exercise for relaxing the lower back. Individuals who restrict their breathing, you see, often have tight (and therefore weak ) lower backs. In addition, it's been found that women tend to breathe more shallowly than men . . . thereby making female homesteaders especially prone to problems with the lower back area.

To understand the correlation between shallow breathing and back fatigue, you need to understand the interaction of the back muscles with the breathing process. The diaphragm, as most folks know, is the main muscle used for breathing (and—like any other muscle—it can be conditioned). This domelike organ sits underneath the lungs. When you inhale, the dome collapses, allowing fresh air to fill the lungs . . . and as you exhale, the muscle pushes the carbon dioxide out of your lungs.

So how does this process affect the lower back? Well, the diaphragm is situated close to another muscle, the psoas, which runs from the upper lumbar spine (roughly in the middle of the back) to the inner thigh bone. Because these muscles neighbor each other, tightness in one will affect the tension in the other. When relaxed, the psoas drops backward, lengthening the back, and—in concert with the abdominal muscles, located in the front of the body—lifts the chest and the head. In contrast, if the psoas is not at ease (as is the case if your diaphragm is tight as a result of shallow breathing), it'll cause the pelvis to tip forward and the stomach to sag outward, producing stress on the lower back.

Therefore, all folks who tackle physical jobs (and especially women) need to concentrate on full, deep breathing ... to help relax the diaphragm and, in turn, reduce strain on the lower back.

CUSTOM-FIT YOUR TOOLS
Any good manual on homesteading will advise you to get quality tools. However, "quality" should refer to more than fine steel and good workmanship. When choosing your mechanical "homestead helpers", consider your height, build, fitness level, and working style.

Farming—and carpentry—equipment is usually designed for the average male (who, statisticians tell us, is 5'10" tall and weighs 160 pounds). Therefore, if you're 5'3" and 125 pounds (the average woman, according to those same number-grinders, is 5'3-1/2" and 145 pounds), you'll want to adjust your tools accordingly. For example, if you feel tired and achy after a morning of pounding nails, chances are you're using a hammer that's too heavy for you. Get a lighter one that feels comfortable to grip and swing. Similarly, the handles of shovels and pitchforks could well be too long for shorter individuals . . . adapt them. Remember that the purpose of tools is to help you get a job done, not to abuse you while you're at it!

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