Helpful Tips to Staying Safe During the Holidays

The holidays are a wonderful time filled with cold days, large quantities of comfort food, and visits from family and friends. However, it’s also a time when many people experience pain from the changing seasons, holiday shopping, and icy walkways. To help you avoid pain and better enjoy this wonderful holiday season, we recommend following these tips.

Be Careful on Snow and Ice

With winter comes bouts of snow and ice, which can make any landscape a winter wonderland. Unfortunately, it can also spell disaster if you slip or slide. Before heading outside to brave the cold, be sure to pick the right footwear. If there’s snow or ice on the ground, don’t wear shoes with slick soles. Instead, choose shoes that grip well on slippery surfaces.

If you’re prone to falling or experience balance issues, make sure you have support from a walker or another person when venturing out onto slippery surfaces. A simple fall can quickly turn into an emergency room visit with a broken hip or hand.

Don’t Lift Too Much

We are all excited to give and receive during the holiday season, which means we’ll spend plenty of time shopping for gifts of all shapes and sizes. Before you try to pick up a large box at a department store, be sure to check the weight. If you can’t lift it yourself, ask for help from a store employee. Most stores prepare for the holidays by staffing additional people who can help lift and maneuver large items. Too much lifting, or trying to pick up heavy objects, is a quick way to hurt your back.

This same rule works when cooking in the kitchen. There’s no harm asking for help moving or lifting a large turkey or pot of potatoes. If you think the weight might be too much, there’s likely plenty of family or friends around who are willing to lend a helping hand.

Lift Correctly

When you are lifting an object, make sure to do so correctly. Keep your back straight and lift vertically with your legs. Your legs are much stronger than your lower back and can more easily bear the weight of an object.

When shopping, distribute your items evenly in the bags to balance the weight as much as possible, and be sure not to overload one arm with too many bags. Also, it’s better to make multiple trips from your car to your home than trying to carry everything in one trip.

Enjoy the Holidays

Most importantly, enjoy the holidays. This is a wonderful time of year and we hope your time is spent with laughter and great company. Happy Holidays from all of us at Galloway Therapy!

For more information about avoiding pain during the holiday season, contact one of our therapists at 501-319-7659.