VetSouth director and large animal vet Neil Hume is based in Winton. He and his team have been working with local physiotherapist Dennis Kelly to help staff avoid injury.
“A lot of the work vets do is repetitive,” Hume says.
“You are using the same muscle groups and doing heavy lifting. You’ve really got to look after your back, shoulders, elbows and wrists. You can wear away in places if you don’t do something about it. It’s the same for farmers too.
“Dennis has given us exercises that all our vets can do before they start work and during breaks.
“We warm up just like rugby players do to help them get into the game. We stretch the back, we stretch our shoulders. It makes a big difference.”
Kelly has been working with the rural community for over 20 years and has seen a lot of injured farmers.
“By far the most common injury I see is lower back pain and lower back injuries followed by necks and arms,” Kelly says.
“Then there’s seasonal stuff like wrists for shearers and people milking.
“All these injuries mean a loss of productivity for farmers and often farmers leave it very late to see their physio so it takes us even longer to get them right.
“I see a lot of farmers who come back with recurrent back pain every year because their core isn’t strong and their back isn’t ready for heavy lifting or prolonged bending in ditches or calving.
“Four or five minutes of exercises a day would probably be enough to start strengthening those muscles for farmers. It’s about making it a priority.”
To help farmers get started Kelly and local teacher Mark Tree have made a series of videos with Farmstrong demonstrating how even the busiest farmers can fit stretches and warm-ups into their day without ever going near a gym.
Tree was born and raised on a farm near Riversdale and knows how tough farming can be on the body.
“Farming’s a really physical job. There are a lot of body positions you’re in for extended periods of time that are not normal, whether it’s picking up calves or lambs or shearing or milking. Most farmers would’ve had some type of injury,” he says.
“There’s lots of things you can do to prevent them and it doesn’t take a lot of time.
“Little and often is the key.
“The main thing is attitude – think about exercise as prevention.
“If you’ve got five minutes to spare in the morning get your body ready for the day. There’s no point waiting to get an injury, going to your physio and getting rehab. That’s all downtime. So if you are time poor this is going to save you time.”
Contract milker and agribusiness student Cheyenne Wilson says “I think looking after yourself is hugely important when it comes to being able to handle the physicality of the job. Going out hunting or walking in the hills and getting some kilometres under your belt also definitely helps with keeping your body fit.”
Southland contract milker Tangaroa Walker is onto it too.
“We’re lifting heavy things all the time in dairy farming, buckets that weigh over 20 kilos, carrying posts. A lot of the time you end up literally only using your forearms and need to strengthen other areas. That’s why I like making the effort to work out. It definitely gives me an advantage when I come back to the farm, especially for going long distance during the calving season.”
Canterbury dairy farmer Tony Coltman says “Keeping well and keeping fit are absolutely crucial.
“If I’m not well or I’m tired or not functioning I don’t respond well to things. I don’t make the right decisions. I’m not as efficient in my day.”
In addition to doing warm-ups Coltman tries to walk as much as possible during his working day.
“I try not to sit on the bike too much. I use it as a crucial piece of machinery for running my business but if I have an opportunity to jog or to walk then I do. If I’m setting up an electric fence I’ll leave the bike at one end, brisk walk or jog rolling the reel out and I’ll put the standards in. If I do that three or four times a day that’s an extra few kilomentres of exercise.”
Farmstrong ambassador Sam Whitelock, who appears in a series of body-conditioning videos on the Farmstrong website, says “By doing warm-ups and stretches you wake up your body and give yourself that full range of movement instead of just working within a narrow range of movement all day. It makes farming a lot easier on the body.”
“So, if you’re waking up in the morning with a stiff back or hips, do your warm-ups. You’re going to feel much better very quickly and a lot of those niggles will go.”
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To see the Farmstrong injury prevention videos or find out what works for you and lock it in go to www.farmstrong.co.nz
