Have you ever done a seemingly harmless job around the house and tweaked your shoulder(s)?
It happens all the time — and in the blink of an eye. You usually think about it for a second, and maybe even pause before you lift because you wonder if you can handle it. You might make a “heave-ho” noise or let out a grunt as you lift, but it doesn’t always help. The days of throwing a 40-pound bag of dog food over your shoulder are over, so you grab it by the outside corners to hug and lug it or drag it.
You might feel the pull as you lift or drag that bag (or whatever that almost-too-heavy thing is); you might think you’ve pulled it off — until morning. Then comes the routine that will last a day or three: your go-to pain relief, a hot shower, the hot water bottle at bedtime, and (if you’ve been given good advice) alternating cold and hot.
The next time you reach for a bag or bucket that makes you pause, do your best to remember at least the top two in this list of tips I repeatedly give my clients during their Pilates training:
Begin your exhale (to tighten your core) before you begin to lift;
Keep weight in your heels, then tighten the back of legs and buttocks (yes, even the men should do this);
Do not lock your knees at the top;
Focus on using your muscles in back of your arms and shoulders;
Try to do this odd little move I call dropping your armpits (if you think about it, you can do it).
One of my clients reported to me today that she was filling, carrying and dumping five-gallon buckets while helping her husband with a tile project. She did it over and over again for hours — in spurts, but she said she did it so many times that she lost count.
Not only did she not hurt herself, she said she was impressed with how easily she managed the job. She actually did the math on the weight of a four-gallon bucket of water (because they were not full) and was surprised it was a little more than 33 pounds.
She’d used all of the tips in this blog post, plus a couple more we’ve used during our FaceTime training sessions and came out on the other side of the project impressed with herself instead of nursing a self-induced injury.
Try my tips and let me know how they help you the next time you breathe instead of heave.
This is a perfect example of what I mean when I say I help people stay stronger longer. The client I’ve highlighted here is in her early 50s and says she’s in the best shape of her life.
If you’d like to talk to me about what I do and how I’ve helped clients in their teens, 20s and all the way into their XXs, and how I can help you, please go to my website at susannaengfitness.com and schedule your free 30 minute consult. Also print of my FREE Core Tips, and remember to breathe.
