Enjoy This Week’s CommonHealth Weekly Wellnote
The Dos and Don’ts of Lifting a Load: All of us need to lift items in our day to day work, from refilling the copier with a ream of paper to lifting 50-pound bags of snow melt to help maintain the walkways and roadways. Sometimes when the load is small or seems light, we may not pay as much attention to our lifting technique as we would with a heavier task. Back injuries can happen with any poor form, regardless of the size of the load, however. So next time you have to pick something up (even something seemingly minor), keep in mind the following dos and don’ts for keeping your back in good condition:
Do:
- Ensure you have a solid grip before lifting
- Test the weight of the object before lifting to avoid strains – team lift if the object is too heavy
- Keep your body close to the object and stand in a stable position with your abs engaged
- Always lift with your legs, relieving the stress on your back
Don’t:
- Twist your back or bend to the side
- Lower the item if you are not in a stable position
- Lift an item that is too heavy, or possibly too heavy
- Lift above your shoulders or below your knees
Revisit CommonHealth’s Wellgonomics program for more information on keeping your spine healthy no matter what kind of work you do!
For questions regarding this week’s communication or the CommonHealth program, please reach out to your respective campus coordinator below:
Alexandria – Kathy Clement (KClement@nvcc.edu) or Najeeb Baha (NBaha@nvcc.edu)
Annandale – Regina Sanders (RLSanders@nvcc.edu)
Fairfax/College Staff – Dahlia Henry-Tett (DHTett@nvcc.edu)
Loudoun – Tammy Wagner (TWagner@nvcc.edu)
Manassas – ThuyTien Ngo-Nguyen (TNgoNguyen@nvcc.edu)
Medical Education Campus (Springfield) – Monica Chenault (MChenault@nvcc.edu)
Woodbridge – Amira Alexander (AAlexander@nvcc.edu)
Submitted by:
Dahlia Henry-Tett, HR-Chief Wellness Officer, DHTett@nvcc.edu