Health Tips for March 19

Health Tip: Lifting Safety for Caregivers

If you are caring for an ill or injured loved one, you could be at risk for serious injury yourself if your daily routine includes a lot of heavy lifting.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons offers these suggestions for caregivers to help prevent injury:

When lifting a person or heavy object:

• Keep your head and neck in line with your spine.
• Don't force your spine into awkward positions, and avoid bending at the waist.
• Don't twist yourself when lifting or carrying.
• Hold the loved one or object close to your body.
• Don't stand with your feet too close together. Keep them about the width of your shoulders apart.
• Lift with your legs, not your back.
• If the person or object is too heavy to lift, ask someone else for help.

Health Tip: Protect Your Muscles

It's important to stretch and warm up your muscles before exercise.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons lists these common risk factors for muscle strains and injury:

• Tired muscles that have been worked too hard.
• Tight muscles that haven't been properly stretched.
• Weak muscles that haven't been strengthened through training and exercise.
• Muscles that haven't been warmed up before exercise, sports or other activities.
• Muscle groups that work together that don't have properly balanced strength. For example, a stronger hamstring than quadriceps, or vice versa.