One of the safe lifting guidelines mentioned in the chapter is to _________.

• A. Keep feet about shoulder width apart
• B. Bend at the waist to lift with the back
• C. Hold your breath during the lift
• D. Twist your torso while lifting

Answer: (A)

Maintaining a stable base and using the legs to lift are the fundamentals of safe lifting. Keeping feet about shoulder width apart gives you a solid, balanced stance that broadens your base of support and lets you hinge at the hips and knees rather than the back. This posture helps you recruit larger leg muscles to do the lifting, which protects the spine from undue strain. Lifting with a bent waist places excessive load on the lower back. Holding your breath during the lift increases chest pressure and can compromise form and safety. Twisting the torso during a lift introduces rotational forces that can injure the spine. So the recommended guideline is to stand with feet about shoulder width apart to promote stability and use the legs for the lift.