Fruit picking back pain: stretches and tips for farm work

Why does fruit picking hurt your back?

Most backpackers feel it in the first week. Farm work is long hours of the same movement, often in the heat, and your body isn’t used to it yet. The kind of ache you get depends a lot on the job.

This page is general information, not medical advice. If you’re in pain or worried, see a GP or a physio.

A 5-minute warm-up before your shift

Cold muscles at 6am plus a sudden heavy lift is a bad mix. Take five minutes before you start. Move gently, don’t bounce, and stop anything that causes sharp pain.

• Walk around for a minute, swinging your arms, to warm up.
• Shoulder rolls: 10 forwards, 10 backwards.
• Arm circles: small to big, 10 each way.
• Hip circles: hands on hips, 10 each way.
• Gentle side bends: slide one hand down your leg, then swap. 5 each side.
• Bodyweight squats: 10 slow ones, as low as feels comfortable.
• Wrist and ankle circles: 10 each way, especially before packing shed or ladder work.

Stretches for fruit pickers after a shift

After work, while you’re still warm, a few easy stretches can help you feel less stiff the next morning. Hold each one for about 20 to 30 seconds and breathe normally. A stretch should feel like a pull, never a sharp pain.

• Child’s pose: kneel, sit back on your heels and reach your arms forward along the floor.
• Knee to chest: lie on your back and hug one knee in, then the other, then both.
• Lying twist: on your back, drop both knees to one side, then the other.
• Hamstring stretch: on your back, loop a towel around one foot and gently lift the straight leg.
• Hip flexor stretch: kneel on one knee with the other foot in front, and ease your hips forward.
• Chest and shoulder stretch: hands on a doorframe at shoulder height, step gently through.
• Calf stretch: hands on a wall, one leg back with the heel down. Good after a day on ladders.

How to lift and carry on a farm without hurting yourself

Safe Work Australia’s model Code of Practice for hazardous manual tasks, and the guidance from state regulators like SafeWork NSW, WorkSafe Victoria and WorkSafe Queensland, all come back to the same basics. Your employer also has a legal duty to reduce the risks of manual tasks, for example by providing trolleys or lighter loads where they can.

• Keep the load close to your body. Holding weight out in front is much harder on your back.
• Bend your knees and hips, not just your back, when you pick something up from low down.
• Don’t twist while you lift. Turn your feet instead.
• Split heavy loads, or get help with them. Ask for a hand truck or trolley if there is one.
• On ladders, move the ladder rather than leaning out to reach. Keep a steady footing.
• Swap sides when carrying on one shoulder, and swap tasks when you can.
• Take your breaks. Short regular breaks help more than pushing through and crashing later.
• If a task feels unsafe, tell your supervisor. You’re allowed to raise it.

Sleep, water and heat

Your body recovers when you rest, so a bad sleep in a noisy dorm makes everything ache more. Earplugs and an eye mask are cheap and worth it in a busy working hostel.

Drink water all day, not just at lunch. Being dehydrated and overheated makes you tired, clumsy and more likely to hurt yourself. Wear a wide-brim hat, long light sleeves and sunscreen, and look out for your mates. If someone feels dizzy, confused or stops sweating in the heat, get them into the shade, cool them down and get help. Call 000 if it’s serious.

• Fill a big bottle the night before and freeze half of it.
• Eat a proper breakfast. Picking on an empty stomach is hard work.
• Ease in. Your first few days won’t be your fastest, and that’s normal.

Gear that helps with farm work back pain

You don’t need much. Many farms supply picking bags, buckets and ladders, so ask before you buy. These are the extras that make the biggest difference for most people. For clothes and boots, see our full gear guide.

What to do if you hurt your back at work

Workplace laws generally apply to visa holders the same way they apply to everyone else, and that includes workers compensation. Each state and territory runs its own scheme, so the forms and names differ, but the steps are similar.

• Tell your supervisor straight away, even if it seems minor, and ask for it to be written in the injury register.
• Write down what happened yourself: the date, time, task and who saw it. Take photos if useful.
• See a GP. Say it happened at work and ask for a workers compensation medical certificate (the name varies by state).
• Ask your employer about making a workers compensation claim, or contact the regulator in your state.
• Keep copies of everything: payslips, certificates, receipts and messages.
• An employer can’t lawfully sack or punish you for making a claim. The Fair Work Ombudsman can help, for free, on 13 13 94. Visa protection arrangements have changed over the past few years, so check its website for what applies to you now.

When to stop working and get help

Normal stiffness from new work usually eases as you get used to it. Stop and get checked if the pain is sharp, getting worse, or still bad after a few days of rest.

Get medical help straight away (call 000 in an emergency) if pain spreads down your leg, you have numbness, tingling or weakness, or you have trouble with your bladder or bowels. If you’re not sure, call healthdirect on 1800 022 222 for free advice.

No job is worth a long-term injury. There are always more jobs. We’re also making a short Backpack Aus video series on warm-ups and stretches for farm work, coming soon.