Here is an everyday activity that we forget about, laundry. I see many cases of people injuring themselves doing laundry. Seems impossible, but it all boils down to improper bending.
Borrowing from a few other topics, bending and squatting is very important. Looking at the photos I am certain you could guess which is proper and improper technique.
Regardless of the weight of the laundry, proper bending is very important. Of course, wet laundry gets heavier and that is even more important. Looking at photo
#1, you can see the knees are moreso straight. Bad sign. We are looking for more of a squat/baseball catcher stance in photo #2.
Another thing to remember is avoiding twisting. It is very easy to grab from one side-by-side machine and chuck into the other. We have the side by side setup at the office, as you can see in the photos. Break the task into bites. Step one remove laundry. Step 2 move over. Step 3 insert into the laundry. Breaking down tasks usually eliminates twisting and awkward leaning. Remember it’s called twist and shout for a reason.
Until next time, bend with your knees.
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