Need a Lift?

By Robert Carew

How many of you has this happened to? You pick something up and as you straighten up it feels as if someone has stabbed you in the back. You crumple up and can’t move. Yup, you’ve put your back out.

According to healthissuestoday.com, back pain is one of the most prevalent conditions in America. It is thought that as high as 90% of us will experience back pain at some time in our lives. Nearly 40% of all sick days are caused by back pain.

Most back pain can be traced back to improper lifting technique or lifting up something too heavy. It is our human nature to try to find the lazy way out and we often pick things up wrongly, bending over at the back rather than the knees.

Here are just a few tips to lifting correctly:

1. Bend your knees and keep your back straight
2. Lift close to your body
3. Tense the stomach muscles
4. Don’t twist or bend when lifting
5. Lift with your legs
6. Don’t be a hero, if it’s too heavy get some help





It may seem like a pain in the neck to lift things properly, but if you don’t want it to become a pain in the back then its best to take a few extra seconds and do it right. Your back will thank you for it later on in life.