Protect Your Back When Shopping

With the shopping bag by-law in place, we are adjusting to using multi-use bags. These bags tend to hold more weight than single-use bags, so our team at Tamarack Physical Therapy came up with a few tips to reduce the risk of injuring your back while shopping:

• Don’t overfill bags
• Share the heavy items between bags
• Be aware which are your heavier bags to avoid ‘surprises’ when you lift
• Slide the bag close to you for loading and unloading – don’t overreach
• Keep the bag close for lifting
• Lift from the bottom rather than the handles for large bags
• Use two hands to lift
• Tighten your core – pull your belly button towards your spine

• Bend your knees to lift and lower the bag
• Turn your feet to place the bag in your cart – do not twist your back or pivot on your feet
• Place heaviest bags in your vehicle last so you have the least distance to carry them
• Apply the same lifting principles when unloading at home
• Carry in fewer bags at a time
• You may require more trips, but that is easier than dealing with a sore back
• Use your head to protect your back – you only have one spine!