Planting Ergonomics: How to Prevent Injury When Planting
Tree planting involves doing the same motions over and over again… A lot. When you’re trying to maximize your productivity each day, it’s probably tempting to move as fast as possible in order to plant as many trees as you can each day. Over time, however, using poor technique when planting, although faster in the short term, could lead to repetitive strain injuries that could slow you down in the long term, or take you out of the season altogether. Poor technique may help you plant more trees in a given day, but proper technique will help you plant more each week, month, and season. We will let you do the math on which will make you more money in the long term. Total Physiotherapy has taken the time to break down each movement with planting, its effects on your body, and how to optimize everything from your shovel length, your bag load and placement, and more. If followed properly, these tips will help you stay free of injury, maintain efficiency, and increase your productivity each season. Although these techniques may feel weird or slow you down in the short term, stick with it. In the long term, Total Physiotherapy’s guide will help you increase efficiency and stay healthy day after day.
Note: The video’s planting methodology differs slightly from Leader Silvicultures requirements (such as closing the hole with your hand rather than a shovel back cut). However, the main guiding principles still apply.
