Lifting Tips

Are you helping a friend or family member move into a new place for the school year? 🏫

Helping with a move can be tough on your body❗

Ensure you lift safely and avoid injuries.⚠

Here are a few tried and true rules for lifting safely and preventing back injury:

1. Bend your knees to lift with ease.
2. Stand close to the load to be lifted.
3. Place your feet shoulder width apart.
4. Bend your knees and keep your back straight.
5. Squat down to the level of the object and test the weight of the load.
6. Ask for help if the load is too heavy or awkward!
7. Use the strength of your leg and arm muscles (not your back) to smoothly and slowly lift the load. Try not to jerk when lifting.
8. Keep the load close to your body.
9. Never twist your body while turning and carrying the load.
10. Pivot to turn in the direction you want to move toward.
11. Bend your knees and slowly lower the load to its new location.

If you’ve injured yourself while lifting, our Chiropractors can help assess, diagnose, and treat the injury and get you back to moving pain free. ✅

#moving #lifting #backpain #backinjury #chiropractor #chiropractic #health #wellness #wilmot #newhamburg #baden #tavistock #wellesley #waterlooregion

 

Have you ever wondered why you feel muscle soreness after a workout? 💪

The answer may be delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).

It can reduce your range of motion and muscle strength and occurs 24-48 hours after you try new activities/exercises or increase your workout intensity. It’s a sign that your muscles are adapting to new loads. 🏋️‍♂️

There is a myth that DOMS is caused by lactic acid build-up. But lactic acid only lasts in your muscles 1-2 hours after a workout. Resistance training causes micro-tears of muscle fibres, drawing increased blood flow and inflammation to the area, even leading to mild swelling, which stimulates the pain receptors in the muscle tissue and makes them more sensitive to movement.

The muscle damage is temporary. As muscle rebuilds itself, it gets stronger and can handle heavier loads. ⌛

HOW TO DEAL WITH MUSCLE SORENESS:
Although DOMS is a natural process that indicates your body is getting stronger, you can reduce the discomfort. Here are some tips:

🧘‍♀️ More exercise is the best way to relieve DOMS! Do a gentle workout such as light cardio, stretching or yoga a day or two after an intense workout. Pick up the intensity once the pain is gone.
📅 Introduce new exercises over a period of one to two weeks to give your body time to adapt.
🚶‍♀️Try longer warmups before your resistance training.
🛀 Take an Epsom salt bath. Epsom salts are made from magnesium, which helps relax muscles and improve circulation.
🤸‍♂️ Mix up your routine. If you do leg exercises one day, work your arms and core the next. This gives each muscle group time to recover.
💦Remember to drink plenty of water and replenish your electrolytes with a balanced diet full of fruits and vegetables. Leafy greens and bananas are two excellent options. 🥦🍌

#DOMS #musclesoreness #exercise #strengthtraining #muscles #health #wellness #wilmot #newhamburg #baden #tavistock #wellesley #waterlooregion

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