Are you coming home heavily loaded with full shopping bags after a long day at work? Your back hurts but you don’t know why?
Incorrect lifting and carrying in everyday life and at work can lead to pain in the back and strain on the spine up to a herniated disc. By lifting and carrying properly you can prevent discomfort and injury. If you want to know how to simplify your everyday life through ergonomic lifting and carrying, here are some tips waiting for you.
Tips for proper lifting and carrying
Balance
When lifting, make sure that you stand securely on both legs. A hip-width stand helps you to keep your balance and protect yourself from accidents.
Distribution of weight
Always try to create an even weight distribution. Instead of carrying the shopping bags in one hand divide them between both hands. If one bag is much heavier than the other rearrange your purchases so that they both feel similarly heavy. If you are carrying a larger package or beverage crate keep it as close and central as possible in front of your upper body to center the weight well.
Support
Maybe someone can help you lift your moving boxes? Are there any aids to help you lift? Can you store beverage crates at hip height? When lifting and placing loads on an elevation the body is spared, the muscles tire more slowly and more strength can be generated. Tip: When you lift and carry together, give each other commands!
Posture
In addition to the secure stand, the posture of the upper body, especially the back, is particularly important to make lifting easier and to protect oneself from pain. No matter what you want to lift, squat down with your back straight and stand upright. Always remember that it is mainly your legs that give you the strength to lift and not your back. Übungstipp: Exercise tip: Lift a crate of drinks several times and check yourself (e.g. in a mirror) while you practice. Take care of a secure stand and a straight back. Remember to squat down and lift with your legs. You can first practice from an elevation with an empty box then with a full one. If you feel safe, you can also start from the ground
Alternatives
Consider possible alternatives to lifting and carrying so as not to overload your body. For example, instead of carrying the purchases through the supermarket in a basket, pushing them through the store in a shopping cart. Pushing a large package instead of carrying it around. Go on holiday with your suitcase and leave the backpack at home or in order not to have to carry the folders back and forth at work, prefer to walk more often and look up the information directly at the location of the folders. On the way to work or a picnic by bike, swap your backpack for a saddlebag. Get creative in everyday life – why make life more difficult when it can be easy?
Pause
A very important point that you quickly forget when there is a lot to do… Pause! Take a break. Do you have a physically demanding job or do you run the household and take care of the children? Try to listen to your body anyway, even if sometimes everything grows over your head. Every now and then take a short breather, put your legs up for five minutes, go for a short walk or get up in the office from time to time to stretch and stretch. All this will certainly help you to continue working with full energy!
Protect your back in everyday life? No problem anymore!
Probably everyone has a busy day where you only long for your bed. Thanks to the tips and tricks for ergonomic lifting and carrying you can now go through your everyday life healthy! Try it out and get creative – your body will thank you!