That is why it is so important to learn the principals of proper body mechanics. But don't worry, it's not complicated. And once you get used to them, they can easily be incorporated into your daily life. You will be glad you learned them as they can save you from back pain and discomfort.
Posture
We have all been told since childhood to "stand up straight". But it's easy to get into bad habits. Good body mechanics are based on good posture. Good posture means the spine is in a "neutral" position - not too rounded forward and not arched back too far. But what does good posture look like?
It's easy, follow these few steps:
- Stand with your feet apart.
- Create a small hallow in your lower back by tucking the tailbone in and tilting your pelvic bone slightly forward. This is done by tightening the muscles of the buttocks and thus, rotating the pelvis into the neutral position. Be careful not to arch too much.
- Pull the shoulders back and lift your chest.
- Lift your chin until it is level and relax your jaw and mouth.
That's it, proper posture! Feel how balanced the spine is? Very little energy is now required to keep it that way. Practice this position until it becomes second nature.
Being aware of your posture during all of your daily activities is the best way to ensure you are using good body mechanics. Here are a few exercises that can help improve your posture.
- Chin Tuck:
- Sit or stand using proper posture.
- Gently pull your chin back to a comfortable position
- Perform this exercise in sets of ten, 2-3 times daily.
- Shoulder Squeeze
- Sit or stand using proper posture.
- Bring you elbows behind you while squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- Hold for 5 seconds
- Perform this exercise in sets of ten, 1-2 times daily.
Standing
Millions of people spend a good deal of their time on their feet. Standing work, including bending, lifting, carrying and reaching can be tough on the back - especially if proper body mechanics are not being used. Use the following guidelines to minimize the risk of injury to your back when doing standing work:
- Avoid standing in one position for prolonged periods of time. Change your position as often as you can. This will not only help relieve stress on your spine, it also helps increase circulation and decrease muscle fatigue. When you can, stretch. Gentle stretching exercises during a break can help ease muscle tightness.
- Be aware of your posture. Are you standing correctly? Check and double check throughout your day.
- Make sure the surface you are standing on is firm and level.
- If possible, lean on a solid support. This can help reduce fatigue during long periods of standing.
Other important tips to remember:
- When lifting an object, avoid bending and twisting at the same time. Instead, face the object and bend at the knees (not the back).
- Before lifting, move close to and directly in front of the object. Make sure your feet are flat on the floor and shoulders are apart. Bend the knees and lift smoothly. Use the same movement when putting the object down again.
- Avoid overreaching. If you have to reach up to a high level, make sure you are standing on a firm level surface. Avoid standing on tiptoes. Not only is this an unstable position to stand in, for prolonged periods of time it can place unnecessary strain on the back and neck.
Sitting
Whether sitting at a desk or at home watching television, good body mechanics are still important to keep in mind. For deskwork, consider investing in an ergonomically enhanced chair. What does proper sitting look like?
- Place your buttocks at the back of the seat while maintaining a small space between the back of your knees and the seat of the chair.
- Place your feet flat on the floor with your knees bent at a 90° angle.
- Pull your shoulders back and lift your chest.
- Lift your chin until it is level and relax your jaw and mouth.
For prolonged periods of sitting, make sure you have enough support for your lower back. Look for a chair that has adjustable lumbar support. If that is not possible, you can increase your back support by using a lumbar roll or even a rolled up towel or cushion placed behind your lower back.
Keep in mind that even sitting in the "correct" position for long periods of time will eventually become uncomfortable. Don't forget to take breaks, get up, move around and stretch! This will reduce the stress on your spine and help prevent muscle fatigue and stiffness.
Sleeping
We spend about one-third of our time in bed, so we can't ignore how our bodies are positioned during sleep. As during our waking hours, the goal is to maintain a neutral spine even while we are in bed. Here's how:
- Make sure you are sleeping on a firm mattress.
- Avoid sleeping on your stomach or with your head elevated on an oversized pillow. These positions cause the back to arch and places stress on the spine.
- The side and back are the best positions for maintaining a neutral position and a must for anyone with back or neck problems.
- Place a pillow between your knees (for side sleeping) or behind your knees (for back sleeping). This will help keep your spine in the right position and help ease stress on the lower back.
- Use a pillow that allows you to keep your head aligned with the rest of your body. Numerous and/or oversized pillows may look great on a made bed but do not necessarily benefit your back while sleeping.
Lifting
The process of lifting places perhaps the greatest loads on the low back and therefore, has the highest risk of injury. Use of proper lifting mechanics and posture is critical to prevent injury. In the end, it is more important how you lift than how heavy a weight you lift. Here are a few tips on how to lift safely:
- Place the load immediately in front of you.
- Bend the knees to a full squat or lunge position.
- Bring the load towards your chest.
- Assume a neutral position with your back.
- Tighten the lumbar and buttocks muscles to "lock" the back.
- Lift now from the legs to the standing position.
- DO NOT:
- Lift from a twisted / sideways position.
- Lift from a forward stooped / imbalanced position.
As you can see, proper body mechanics are vitally important for keeping your spine healthy. And it's easy to incorporate these principals into your daily life. It may seem unnatural at first, but if you keep at it, they will easily become routine. Your back will thank you for it!
If you are having back pain, have questions about a spinal condition, or need help maintaining good body mechanics, contact us here at CCSI. One of our spine specialists can help you.
Maintaining proper body mechanics at work is essential to employee wellness. There are four body mechanics principles that every employee should be following. What are the principles of body mechanics? They include:
- Maintaining a stable center of gravity
- Maintaining a wide base of support
- Maintaining a line of gravity
- Maintaining proper body alignment
When these principles of body mechanics are followed, employees experience less injury at work and are more productive. Following body mechanics principles will reduce stress and strain on the body and produce safe and effective moment. We discuss the proper use of the principles of body mechanics in the workplace.
Guidelines for Proper Body Mechanics at Work
Using proper body mechanics includes:
- Lifting With the Knees
- Maintaining Good Posture While Sitting
- Standing With Feet Apart
- Aligning The Body When Moving or Turning
- Avoiding Sitting for Hours on End
The principles of good body mechanics at work are important to understand for all employees. The use of correct body mechanics is needed to help prevent serious injury and help employees experience a much better quality of life. When we have poor body mechanics, our spinal structures begin to break down from abnormal stresses on our body. Employees need to be acutely aware of their bodies and movements to begin making improvements.
Related resource: Top 15 Master’s in Human Factors and Ergonomics
1. Lift With the Knees
This is fairly common knowledge but worth reiterating. When lifting heavy objects, employees should make sure they lift with their knees, not their backs. Lifting is a movement that puts the back, particularly the lower back, at great risk of injury. Lifting with the arm and leg muscles helps mitigate this risk and ensures proper body mechanics. Employees should also have their knees bent and lift the object towards their chest. Lifting from a position where the person is leaning forward increases the likelihood of losing balance and falling. Poor body mechanics when lifting can result in serious injury, particularly if the heavy object that was being lifted falls on the person.
Health care facilities have their own set of lifting challenges. When patients need to be lifted, how should employees and patients move their feet to maintain proper body mechanics? The rules of body mechanics are the same. It’s important to always face the person (or object) you are moving. Employees should pivot their feet instead of twisting their body. The shoulders, hips, and toes should all be pointing the same direction. When transferring an individual from their wheelchair, employees should make sure they move their entire body in the direction of the transfer.
2. Maintain Good Posture While Sitting
Many employees sit for long periods of time during the day, so it’s important to maintain proper posture when doing so. This can be difficult to do, as HuffPost points out that posture often follows attention. An employee is therefore more likely to slump forward and have poor posture when paying attention to what they are typing on a keyboard. Employees should place both feet flat on the floor, sitting as far back on the seat as possible. They should sit up straight, keep their shoulders back and their chests lifted. These posture principles help prevent musculoskeletal issues. Stress can cause the jaw to clench so lifting and unclenching the jaw helps too, particularly to prevent headaches.
3. Stand with Feet Apart
Standing with the feet apart, especially with one foot slightly in front of the other, is useful in many different scenarios while on the job. Doing this helps ensure the spine remains straightened and prevents pressure from being put on the internal organs. It also helps employees find their center of gravity so they are less likely to lose their balance and fall. This posture can also function as a confidence booster, pumping employees up mentally for a stressful task they need to do such as negotiating an important contract or asking for a raise.
4. Align the Body When Moving or Turning
A common mistake employees make against the principles of using proper body mechanics at work is jerking around too quickly. This can cause muscle strain or disc problems in the neck or back. A good way to remedy this is to ensure the various parts of the body, especially the head, neck, back and pelvis, are aligned when moving or turning. This helps prevent pulled muscles, muscle fatigue pinched nerves and herniated discs. It is important not to twist at the waist, especially when lifting or carrying a heavy object.
Trips, slips and falls are the most common workplace injuries. Workplace injuries related to moving or turning may cause hours of lost productivity due to medical or physical therapy appointments.
5. Avoid Sitting for Hours on End
As previously mentioned, most office jobs require employees to sit at a desk throughout the workday. Evidence has piled up that living a sedentary lifestyle drastically increases the risk of developing serious health problems like obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. To mitigate the negative health effects this can cause, employees should be sure to take occasional breaks where they get up and move around. Every little bit helps. Simply taking a quick walk around the office or standing and stretching has benefits.
Conclusion
Employees should take the time to stop and think before doing any unusual movements at work. They should also stop and take stock of their posture regularly, remembering and utilizing the principles of using proper body mechanics at work.
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