When I go to the grocery store I employ the “lift with your legs” practice. Do you know that one? The one where you lift heavy objects by using your biggest and more than likely strongest muscles of the body–the legs. So instead of bending over from the waist or even hips you lower your body down by bending your knees bringing your hips low, then you grab the object and push up with your legs. This allows you to lift the object by using the power of your legs and not your back and/or your arms. Many woman, do not have the upper body strength of men. That is a simple fact, it is not meant as a gender-derogative comment, it is just that by nature most women are weaker in the upper body than most men. But even the men should use their legs when lifting heavy objects. And while the things I am putting in my cart might not appear heavy, especially for a man with more upper body strength, lifting with the back is not the best way to be lifting things. I really think grocery stores should employ Occupational Therapists to teach their baggers how to best utilize their bodies and save their backs. Also it could encourage other people. I know that baggers get trained how to bag . . . at the store I frequent it is obvious some are better than others, but I am sure they get some training on the basics of how to put groceries in a bag. But when it comes to putting heavy objects on the cart they put the heavy objects IN the cart. This means that I am supposed to reach in, bending over the cart and object and lift it out with my arms and back. However, when it is in the BOTTOM of the cart, I can use my legs to lift. So I was thinking that if stores were to employ Occupational Therapists they could teach the baggers the proper way to lift.
I think that helping employees move their bodies would help them be better employees. Also, it would help allow them to be employees longer and not injure themselves on the job or off. I believe that it is not always ONE thing a person does to injure their back but the constant misuse and abuse of the back that results in injury. Often back injuries mean time off of work and time that one has to take out of their lives to heal.
I was kind of excited not too long ago when I went to the grocery store and I noticed they had a herd of new carts. “Oooooo! Pretty.” I thought. Until I went to use the bottom. The new cart even promotes more inefficient use of the body. The back portion where I used to be able to put a case of water (via the back) now has a BAR across it. So I can’t put something on that side via the back. I have to put it in the front then SLIDE it all the way to the back so I have room for the other heavy item I am going to purchase. Or basically, now I have to plan my shopping trips so that I am only buying ONE heavy item at a time. So . . . there went my enthusiasm for the new carts. They are pretty . . . pretty useless.
I often find myself wondering what people are thinking. Perhaps they are in league with Doctors or drug manufactures. That conspiracy theory would be something like: Hey if we make carts that don’t allow people to put heavy stuff in the bottom they will have to put it IN the cart and cause injury. They will end up at the doctor’s office, the doctor will write up a prescription — and voila. Yeah, I can see doctors and drug manufactures investing in shopping cart companies. Because if a personal trainer, a chiropractor, or an Occupational Therapist were to design shopping carts, the bottom rack would be easily accessible to that people could use it for heavy items. Additionally, the baggers would be training on how to load heavy items on a cart.
Do you practice lifting with your legs and not your back? Do you think about your back? Do you use the bottom rack of the grocery cart?
Terre Pruitt's Blog 