Lifting Properly

Whether you're lifting weights or just picking up around the house, it's important to have good posture when lifting heavy objects. To demonstrate, I've made a short video where I'm squatting to lift up a dumbbell.

Notice how in the video I squat down so that my legs make a 90 degree angle. If I was lifting weights, like I was in the video, I'd be sure to keep my elbows slightly bent to keep them from locking. I have an upcoming video and blog coming soon to demonstrate a modified dead lift.

If I was moving a box at home, I would squat, pick up the box and carry it close to my body, and then walk to where I want to place the box. I would be careful not to twist my back, as that can be strain on my low back.

For more pain prevention tips, check out our YouTube playlist.

Don't fall behind on water!

Whether you're out for sports this fall, or you're running the kids out to their sporting events, you need to be sure that you (and your family) stay hydrated. According to Larry Kenney, PhD and professor of physiology and kinesiology at Penn State in the article Quest for Hydration, "as little as a 2% decrease in body water can lead to dehydration and performance detriments in sports." Dehydration by 3 or 4% have much more seriously effects.

Symptoms of dehydration are:

• Dry mouth
• Increased Thirst
• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Moodiness
• Concentration
• Faintness
• Rapid Breathing
• Weak, Rapid Pulse
• Loss of Consciousness
• Anxiety
• Confusion

So, drink your water. Your brain and body will thank you. 

Massage Your Own Back

Have your upper shoulders and back ached after a long day of work? I know mine have, and I found a creative way to massage my own muscles that are out of reach. I recently made a fun video to show how I do it, and I've found it really comforting after a long day of work.

I bought a PVC pipe and cut it to be a little longer than my torso, so that I can hold onto one end around my belt line and the other end around my neck height. To anchor, I grab a hold of my belt or top of my pants, and with the other hand, I rotate the PVC pipe to massage my shoulders and upper back, as seen in the video. If I find a really tender area, I just press and hold the PVC pipe on that area for anywhere from 2 to 5 minutes, as long as I don't experience any discomfort or pain.

The PVC pipe is a thicker walled PVC pipe, which you can typically get at your local hardware store. I hope it helps you as it's helped me.