8 days to a healthy spine: Day 7-- Maintain correct posture while lifting heavy weights

Be careful while you lift that heavy box!

October 16 is World Spine Day

Have you ever tried to lift a heavy object and sprained your back while trying to stand up? Even thought this kind of an injury is very common, it can damage your spine in the long run. The same applies for weight lifting. In a bid to lose weight, many of us turn to lifting weights. Although weight lifting is essential to tone your muscles if not done right, weight lifting too can affect your back adversely.

What goes wrong is the fact that we don't lift objects properly. Most of us lift objects by bending down. So when you are trying to stand up with a heavy object in your hand, the object puts a load on your spine and your chances of an injury increase. Dr Suraj Bafna (P.T), Senior Spine Specialist, Qi Spine Clinic, says that when you bend obliquely, your discs bulge outward due to compression from the front. If this wrong technique is followed and done repetitively it can lead to a slipped disc. The right technique to pick up a heavy object is to keep your back straight, bend at your knees and then lift the object.

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Also, if weight lifting in the gym is not done properly, it can lead to a loss of stature that further leads to decrease in the height of the spinal column, also called as spinal shrinkage [1]. So if you are a weight lifter or new to this form of exercises, make sure you wear a weightlifting belt as it provides support and stability to help you lift the load properly.