Weightlifting tips to avoid back injuries

In a previous article, I talked about painful backs due to lifting weights. Here are some rules to take into consideration to avoid these back injuries.

Keep the Chest Forward

Always be sure to bend at the hips – not the low back. Most people believe bending their knees will ensure a safe lift, but this form alone can still lead to a back injury.

The most important tip is to bend the hips and push the chest out, pointing forward. Also, one should never twist.

Bending the knees alone will still allow a person to curve the back and risk and injury, but keeping the chest pointing forward will guarantee a straight back.

The back muscles will then be used most effectively for maintaining good posture, as they are designed to do.

The knees will bend automatically so the muscles of the legs and hips will produce the power for lifting.

Lead with the Hips, Not the Shoulders

Twisting is another dangerous mistake that can lead to back injury. The shoulders should be kept in line with the hips to avoid this movement.

For changing directions, move the hips first so the shoulders will move in unison. When moving the shoulders first, the hips tend to lag behind creating the dangerous twisting that can cause back injury, especially to the joints in the back and pelvis.

Keep the Weight Close to the Body

The further an object is held from one’s centre of gravity, the more force required to hold that object up

For example, for most people, it is not too difficult to hold a gallon of milk close to the chest, but it can be quite difficult to hold it stretched out in front at arm’s reach.

Of course, the milk does not get heavier when it is further from the body, but it does require much more force to hold it up.

This extra force will also run through the lower back. Therefore, the closer the object is to one’s body, the less likely it is to lead to back injury.

More lifting techniques to avoid back injury

The following three rules are applicable to most lifting situations. Following them whenever possible will reduce the amount of stress the back must go through during activity.

This, in turn, makes a person less likely to sustain a back injury even when it is occasionally necessary to break the rules — when there is no other choice.

Golfer’s Lift

This technique is very useful when lifting out of a bin or picking small objects off the floor, such as a golf ball.

For this technique, the knees do not bend. One leg is allowed to come off the floor behind the lifter and acts as a counter balance.

The opposite hip bends and the body become almost parallel to the floor, except for the leg bearing the person’s weight.

One arm reaches to pick up the object while the other is often hanging on a stationary object for support, such as a countertop or the top end of a golf club.

Although the chest does point down toward the floor, it is a safe technique since lifting the back leg allows the spine to stay straight and the counter balance offsets the strain on the back.

Using Momentum

This method is especially helpful when lifting a heavy object above the level of the waist. If done correctly, it looks like a controlled toss of the object.

The lifter can keep moving towards the destination of the object and swing it up to the surface. The object is then allowed to come away from the body and the momentum will help raise it, requiring less effort by the lifter.

Half Kneeling

This approach is useful for picking an awkward object off the floor. In this case, the lifter can kneel behind the object and first lift it on to the bended knee.

Now the lifter can either straighten out the back knee to propel forward or push with the front knee to propel backward, depending on where the object needs to be carried.

The chest may point down when the back leg is straightened, but the back will remain straight.

Using these techniques on a regular basis reduces the risk of sustaining a back injury while lifting.