You may have heard to “lift with your legs” when carrying heavy objects— but what does that really mean? And if you have heard the phrase, are you actually doing it?

Many people make the error of thinking that an object is “light enough” to simply bend-over and pick it up. Using the hips like a door hinge and straining the lower back muscles, these underestimations can injure the body. Pumpkins are a surprisingly dense fruit (although in the culinary world, they are considered vegetables). Walking around the pumpkin patch and finding the perfect pumpkin to carve with Baby Yoda or Beetlejuice is memorable, but be careful not to bring home an injury with you instead.

Here are some tips to prevent injuries and becoming stiff like a scarecrow:

1. Get low!

Squat down to the hay-ridden ground. Getting close to the ground prevents you from making improper movement by bending down to reach the pumpkin. Bending down and lifting with your low back is what we are trying to prevent!

2. Bring the pumpkin close to your body.

When you are low to the ground, pumpkin and bring it close to the body. Hug the pumpkin like the most-perfect pumpkin it is. Don’t let it go!

3. Don’t use your lower back!

As we mentioned before, we are trying to avoid the lower back muscles. By squatting and holding the pumpkin, you are now ready to use your legs.

4. Use strength from your legs.

Your legs have some of the strongest muscles in your body. In contrast to your lower back muscles, your legs can lift a much larger load. After getting low to the ground and bringing the pumpkin close to your body, push off the ground using your legs. Make sure to dig your heels to the ground to prevent putting pressure on the knees. Imagine you’re getting out of a chair without using your arms.

5. Further Modifications

If these movements still put too much pressure on your body, you can further modify your lifting techniques for relief. Instead of squatting down, try moving into a lunge position. Repeat steps 2 through 4 from the lunge position rather than the squat.

We hope these techniques prevent injury at the pumpkin patch. Remember to lift through the legs, no matter how light an object may seem. Use this process to lift other objects in your home or anywhere else you may need.

At Dig Deep, we pride ourselves on educating our patients to recover from their injuries and get back to movement. Subscribe to our blog to keep updated on helpful tips and facts about the body, or book now to get started with us!