Lifting Technique: Top Ten Tips

Top Ten Lifting Tips

Lifting is a part of everyday life for many individuals. Back injuries often occur during lifting and here are some tips to avoid injuring your back whilst lifting.

1. Plan you lift. Ensure you have a clear passage of where you need to move the load. Remove any items that may get in the way or may trip you over.
2. Stand close to the object you are about to lift. Centre yourself over the object with your feet shoulder width apart.
3. Tighten your abdominal muscles. Keep your back straight, bend your knees and break from the hips to squat down to the floor.
4. Get a good grip on the object with both hands.
5. Keep the object close to your body and use your leg and buttock muscles to stand up, lifting the object off the ground.
6. Your back should remain straight throughout lifting, using only the muscles in your legs and buttocks to lift the object.
7. Do not twist your body if you need to move the object. Take small steps with your feet turning until you are in the correct position.
8. When placing the load in the appropriate spot, again bend at the knees, keep your spine straight and break at the hips using only your leg muscles and buttock to lower the load into place.
9. Don’t over exert yourself. If you think the load may be too much for you, ask for help. If you are required to lift many loads take some breaks.
10. Participating in regular exercise, stretching and core muscle strengthening are good ways to decrease your risk of a back injury from lifting. A physiotherapist from Sport & Spinal Physiotherapy can provide advice on correct lifting technique and appropriate exercises to prevent you from hurting your back whilst lifting. This is especially important in occupations where a lot of lifting occurs.

When lifting think how an Olympic weight-lifter or small child lifts. Essentially they keep a straight back and use their buttock muscles by bending at the hips pushing the buttocks back during the lift. The buttock muscles are the strongest muscles in the body and must be engaged for proper lifting.

Back injuries have the potential to become chronic problems. If you experience back pain from lifting it is essential to obtain an early diagnosis from a physiotherapist at Sport & Spinal Physiotherapy to ensure you make the quickest recovery possible.