Exercise in the combine

Stiff joints and muscles are a common complaint from long hours sitting in the combine during harvest season. Exercise is probably the last thing you're thinking about once you've parked the combine for the day, so the best pain prevention is to get up and move while you're out in the field.

Rachel Jarman is a rural rehab coordinator with Ohio AgrAbility. She says there are a few things you can do to prevent your back, neck, and knees from rebelling at the end of a long day.

"We encourage farmers to maybe go out on the platform of the combine and put both hands straight up in the air and reach back a little bit, and we call that a 'way back'. We also encourage them to possibly bend over if they have the room to and stretch their back out in the other direction so that gives you increased mobility both forwards and backwards on the back. Also, you can stand with feet shoulder-width apart, put your hands on your hips, and twist to one side until comfortable. Return to neutral and twist to the other side until comfortable again," says Jarman. "All these things should be done at comfort levels. Do not twist until pain, do not do anything that your doctor would not recommend to you to do. Doctor's orders always come first."

How often you do this depends on you and your schedule.

"Depending on how long the harvest session is, you could do it once an hour, you could do it once every couple of hours," she says. "Most certainly more than once a day, if possible."

And the best part – you don't need any special workout clothes. Whatever you feel comfortable harvesting in will be just fine.