When I was teaching Back School, the two biggest complaints about housekeeping were folding laundry and sweeping floors. In many cases, the complainant was the father of young children. The first thing I tell these parents is that even the youngest children can fold their own clothes, even their sheets and towels. Kids as young as 4 can do some simple folding tasks and they can certainly help you fold clothes. Don’t worry, this is something that builds character.

The main lesson to learn about all activities of daily living is to pay attention to your back while you work. You should work alone until your back begins to feel tense, then stop for a short period and relax. You may be able to spend very little time on each task or part of each task, at least initially. That’s fine. Tell yourself, “It’s okay that I just work up to my current limit. I’m still a good person.” When you can fully relax, when you are relaxing, and even when you are working, you will be amazed at how quickly you recover. Relaxation is key.

The largest laundry folding bugaboo for most people with low back pain is the folding sheets. My question to you is, do they really need to be expertly folded or do they just need to fit on that shelf in your linen closet?

Okay, the truth is, you just need to be able to fit the sheets in the closet. This is what I suggest:

1. Find a comfortable standing position.
2. Stay relaxed.
3. Grasp the sheet, tight-fitting top or bottom, in one corner and hold the sheet in front of you, close to your body, with the corner over the high nose.
4. Wrap your free arm around the sheet that hangs in front of you, just above the waist.
5. Roll the corner of the sheet down around the arm at your waist while moving that arm up, winding like the action of a fishing reel.
6. Wrap the sheet around your arms in this way until it is completely “folded”.

I know it’s not pretty, but it’s done and it fits in the closet. As your back improves, you can add folding sheets back to your activities. For now, just close your eyes and tuck it in the closet.

Sweep the floor

You may be able to find shortcuts for folding clothes, but sweeping floors is definitely something that there really are no shortcuts for. I wish I knew for sure what it is that makes sweeping floors so difficult. I guess because it’s slightly tilted it’s difficult to maintain a correct posture when you’re sweeping, not to mention the slight rotation the movement requires while slightly tilted. All I know for sure is that it does irritate an already sore back.

Fortunately, although it is irritating, it is not harmful. The secret to sweeping the floor is to stop and rest before you really start to feel your muscles tense past the point of no return. Stop, even for a moment, and use some relaxation techniques while standing.

But, hey, you’re home. You don’t have to stand. You can sit and read a bit or lie in your bed for a moment and just relax. No one is judging you and you are doing what you can to stay active and in the game.

Another possibility is to use one of those feather dusters that would allow you to use one hand while pushing the duster. It is easier to maintain your posture and you are not rotating your trunk while doing it. It is good to change hands periodically while you dust the floor. Also, just because you have a free hand doesn’t mean you can sweep and scoop at the same time. This can cause real problems. Make this an exercise in moderation. You’re good to yourself so that at the end of the day you have something left for the people you’re sweeping for, even if it’s just for you.