Spring is approaching.

And as it nears, some folks are making big plans for work around the house and in the yard.

Plans in hand, as well as rakes, mowers, clippers and the like, folks will head outside, ready to work in their lawns and gardens.

Not so fast, cautions April Emerson, a local physical therapist.

There’s another aspect to consider before getting started.

Physical fitness can play a factor in such plans.

“The biggest thing we see in the spring is a lot of shoulder and back and knee-type injuries from people going back out and working in the gardens and the yard,” Emerson said. “They’ve been inside all winter and have gotten a little bit weaker than they were after the summer and fall.

“They start to get into spring, and they’re not quite in shape for it yet.”

Like athletes, those planning to work outside in the spring need to prepare their bodies for the tasks at hand.

“You’ve got to do your preseason-type warm-ups before you just get out there and start,” Emerson said. “They’re sitting inside all winter thinking about what they want to do. They’ve got it all lined up their head. Then they get out there and get started. Physically, their muscles and joints aren’t quite ready for the strain of the yard work and the gardening and that type of thing.”

Getting fit for the lawn gardening season isn’t a 24/7 venture. There are practical things to get ready.

Perhaps the best thing is to start a walking program. For the physical demands of gardening, a simple exercise program could work wonders.

“It’s very much like an athlete getting ready for their season,” she Emerson said.

A lot of times, she said, muscle and back pains are actual muscle strains.

“You’re asking for more work than the muscle is able to do, so it physically breaks it down a little bit.”

If your muscles aren’t ready for the outdoor work, it could set back your plans for that lawn or garden.

Exactly how long you could be out with a muscle strain depends on a variety of factors.

Generally speaking, she said, a muscle strain could put you out four to six weeks. “Playing through the pain,” so to speak, is not advised.

“The biggest problem we have is that people injure a body part or a muscle and they get back to the point where they don’t hurt anymore,” Emerson said. “So they take it easy for a little while until it stops hurting and they get back to it. But they never really rehab that area enough to get the full strength back. It’s always a little bit weaker, which means it’s always going to be more prone to re-injuring.”