How to pick berries without hurting your back

Look out for your back

Aaah, summertime. Time to go out and gather the provisions for the cold, harsh winter. 🙂

Berry picking has always been a favorite summertime excursion, and this summer was no exception. However, I couldn’t help but notice the basic position most people found themselves in while engaging in the picking of the berries. Ian demonstrates the basic position I noticed most people in below:

You have seen these people. They are leaning over, using their back for a fulcrum instead of using their hips. Then they stand up, and both hands go to the low back and they lean the opposite direction, to counterbalance the position they have spent the last five minutes in.

That’s no fun to have a sore back!

Distractions

Look at this cute tree frog that hopped on my foot!

Here’s his friend who hopped in my berry bucket 🙂

Get down to the ground in a squat

Remember the Sitting Rising test that I blogged about a little while ago?

Have you ever spent any time in Africa? These blueberry bushes were pretty low to the ground and so I found that it was much easier to go into a deep squat to pick them.

The Sitting Rising test has a component of a very deep squat in order to get to the ground. If you spent time in a village in Africa, you might not find a chair anywhere and you have to go into a deep squat in order to eat your dinner around the fire.

Therefore, in order to get two flats of berries picked you better be prepared to use your deep squat to make it happen.

Quick Tip

Watch the video below to get a quick tip on a great place to practice your deep squat, and let me know in the comments below how you like to pick berries!