Toolbox Talk: Preserving Your Back

“Preserving Your Back During Lifting”

Lifting-The Forces Involved
The amount of force you place on your back in lifting may surprise you! Think of your back as a lever. With the fulcrum in the center, it only takes ten pounds of pressure to lift a ten pound object. If you shift the fulcrum to one side, it takes much more force to lift the same object. Your waist acts like the fulcrum in a lever system, on a 10:1 ratio. Lifting a ten-pound object puts 100 pounds of pressure on your lower back.

When you add in the 105 pounds of the average human upper torso, you see that lifting a ten-pound object actually puts 1,150 pounds of pressure on the lower back. If you were 25 pounds overweight, it would add an additional 250 pounds of pressure on your back every time you bend over.

Common Causes of Back Injuries
Anytime you find yourself doing one of these things, you should think: DANGER! My back is at risk!
• Try to avoid heavy lifting. Especially repetitive lifting over a long period of time
• Twisting at the waist while lifting or holding a heavy load . . . this frequently happens when using a shovel.
• Reaching and lifting . . . over your head, across a table, or out the back of a truck.
• Lifting or carrying objects with awkward or odd shapes.
• Working in awkward, uncomfortable positions.
• Sitting or standing too long in one position . . . sitting can be very hard on the lower back.
• It is also possible to injure your back slipping on a wet floor or falling down a staircase.

Prevent Back Injuries
Use proper lift procedures . . . Follow these steps when lifting . . . .
• Test the weight of an object before lifting by picking up a corner.
• Take a balanced stance, feet shoulder-width apart
• Squat down to lift, get as close as you can.
• Get a secure grip, hug the load.
• Lift gradually using your legs, keep load close to you, keep back and neck straight.
• Once standing, change directions by pointing your feet and turn your whole body. Avoid twisting at your waist.
• To put load down, use these guidelines in reverse.
• Get help if it’s too heavy for you to lift it alone.

Help Your Back
• Minimize problems with your back by exercises that tone the muscles in your back, hips and thighs.
• Before beginning any exercise program, you should check with your doctor
• Exercise regularly, every other day.
• Warm up slowly . . . A brisk walk is a good way to warm up
• Inhale deeply before each repetition of an exercise and exhale when performing each repetition.

Exercises to Help Your Back

Wall slides to strengthen your muscles
Stand with your back against a wall, feet shoulder-width apart. Slide down into a crouch with knees bent to 90 degrees. Count to 5 and slide back up the wall. Repeat 5 times.

Leg raises to strengthen back and hip muscles 
Lie on your stomach. Tighten muscles in one leg and raise leg from floor. Hold for count of 10, and return leg to floor. Do the same with your other leg. Repeat five times with each leg. Lie on back, arms at your sides. Lift one leg off floor and hold for count of ten. Do the same with the other leg. Repeat 5 times with each leg. If this is too difficult…keep one knee bent
and the foot flat on the floor while raising the other leg.

Leg raises while seated
Sit upright, legs straight and extended at an angle to floor. Lift one leg waist high. Slowly return to floor. Do the same with the other leg. Repeat 5 times with each leg.

Exercises to Decrease the Strain on Your Back
1. Lie on stomach, hands under shoulders, elbows bent and push up. Raise top half of body as high as possible. Keep hips and legs on floor. Hold for one or two seconds. Repeat 10 times, twice a day.
2. Stand with feet apart. Place hands in small of back. Keep knees straight. Bend backwards at waist as far as possible and hold for one or two seconds. Repeat as needed.
Take care of your back…And it will take care of you!

“Our first impressions are generated by our experiences and our environment, which means that we can change
our first impressions . . . by changing the experiences that comprise those impressions.”
— Malcolm Gladwell

Thanks for the share TO!