LIFTING PROPERLY
	This one is for the guy at PetSmart that almost caused me to cringe as I watched him lift stacks containing multiple bags of dog food (weighing somewhere around a million pounds each). Ah, to be young and invinceable again! Only problem is... you have to "pay the piper" when you get older! So I observe this muscular young man (outfitted with a back brace to minimize lawsuits) wrestling with this stuff. Don't get me wrong, he was definitely winning... for the time being. Fact is, he could have probably lifted me over his head with little effort. But the point is, impropper lifting will cause back problems down the road, no matter how strong the spine. Appropriate lifting greatly involves the legs. Holding the object as close as possible to the body is important. Keep the back straight. Squat to the level of the object to be lifted. So... Holding the object as close to your body as possible, keep your back straight and simply stand up. You will feel the strain on your calf muscles and hamstrings (the back of your legs). This will virtually eliminate the chance of hurting your back because you will be putting pressure on your legs and not your spine. If you cannot lift an object in the manner above, you shouldn't be lifting it anyway (and you can tell your boss I said so). Hope this helps! Questions? Page me at 703-335-7224 between 9am and 10pm. Dr.White