Bend With Your Knees, Not With Your Back
Are you a mother who has to lift your child countless times per day? This can create a situation for your back that can get quite ugly – constant pain and virtual immobility. In this short post, I will share some tips for moms (and dads) on how to properly lift your child so that you do not put undue strain on your back and potentially find yourself in traction or a body cast.
It took some time but I eventually determined that I was committing “lifting fraud”. After many months and hundreds of bad lifts, I finally came to the realization that this was the cause of my back pain. It dawned on me that I should be lifting with my knees and not my back! And I am in the rehab/personal training field!
Then it occurred to me that, if I am forgetting to do this, how many others are forgetting it too?
If you want to know how to lift your child so that you prevent injury and do not become crippled by back pain, follow these few simple steps:
- Bend your knees, not at your waist
- Stick your pretty butt out (yes, I mean you!)
- Keep your abs tight
- Inhale as you lift up (this expands your ribcage and acts to inflate your back and give it more stability and strength)
So simple yet so easy to forget when you are taking care of the cutest bundle of joy and love – not to mention an endless number of matters to think about inside and outside your household.
When you are a mom, especially a new mom, things can get complicated (like having groceries in one arm and a baby in the other and being determined to only make one trip from the car to the house!).
Mothers, please take care of your backs; these steps are preventative – and free of charge, too!
Moms (and dads), remember to bend with your knees, not your back (and keep your abs tight!)
