The Best Way To Lift Your Kids Without Back Pain

Parenthood is heavy lifting, literally! And back pain from lifting little ones is one of the top complaints I hear from my patients. A big reason for this is most people have never been taught how to do it properly, and suddenly you’re having to do it all the time. Let’s change that! I’m going to teach you 3 important tips so you can lift your kids often without hurting your back in the process.

✅ Tip #1 - Get as close as possible

The further away something is from the center of your body, the more work it is for your back to lift it. So you want to get as close as possible from the very beginning of the lift and let your legs to do most of the work.

✅ Tip #2 - Hinge at the hips

Hinging at the hips as you lower allows you to access the largest muscles in your body and the ones designed to do the heavy lifting: your glutes. As you lower down, imagine you’re sitting back into a chair with your butt back and your upper body at a 45° angle to provide a counter balance.

✅ Tip #3 - Exhale

Exhaling a moment before and throughout the lift will activate your core team (diaphragm, abs, back, and pelvic floor) to support you during the lift. Holding your breath actually puts more load on the pelvic floor and back and doesn’t allow the muscles of the core team to coordinate effectively.

Check out the full video above for even more tips like how to properly set down your child and how to sneak in some extra strength work while your lifting your little ones throughout the day.