Santa's Back

Ho ho ho ho Santa is coming!

Do you ever wonder why Santa has no back pain with all the presents he has to deliver and carry?

Or would you like to maintain a strong and safe lower back like Santa?

In this blog, I will tell you what the proper lifting techniques are for Christmas presents and how to reduce the chance of injuring your lower back. As you know, Santa spends long periods of time lifting many gifts. Using improper lifting techniques will make Santa a prime candidate for lower back pain.

But luckily I'm here to tell you the dos and don'ts for heavy lifting.

During the Christmas season, many triggers for lower back pain are lifting, lifting heavy presents or even lifting furniture and cleaning the house for guests to come over. These will put a lot of pressure on your back. Even hanging decorations, putting up the tree, or Christmas lights on the house pose risks of injuring your back.

So how to lift heavy presents like Santa?

When it comes to delivering presents, Santa stresses the importance of proper lifting and using the squatting technique:

• The first act of squatting should be bending your knees, leaning forward from the hips and keeping your back straight

• This puts the spine in a better position to hold the weight

• Bring the weight closer to your body

• Your weight should be centred over your heels, not your toes.

• This maintains your balance and allows you to keep a safer centre of gravity.

Here is some advice to avoid holiday back pain:

• Try to avoid twisting and bending from the waist repeatedly as it puts pressure on your discs and muscles.

• Know your limits, avoid carrying heavy objects, bet yet share the load

• Relax by walking, remember lounging around too much can lead to stiffness in the spine and back pain.

Simply getting regular exercises, maintaining a healthy diet and using proper lifting techniques can help prevent lower back injuries during the holiday season.