PREPARED: The Industrial Athlete’s Daily Checklist
Every high-risk occupation has a daily checklist to get ahead of injury prevention and the industrial athlete is no different! Make sure each day you are checking off each letter and preparing for success!
Check out the resources below to learn how you can be PREPARED everyday and throughout your career.
P: Pre Shift Stretching
An athlete does NOT neglect a proper warm-up. What’s the best kind? One that has all the right ingredients: dynamic mobility, strength, and flexibility.
R: Review Your Hazards
Athletes constantly scan the field or the court for hazards. We can get complacent when we are in similar areas day in and day out. However, whether you are coming onto your shift coming back after a break, a continuous reminder of scanning for hazards is a good practice.
E: Evaluate Your Equipment For The Job
Evaluation of equipment used for your job is an essential part of your daily check. YOU use it, make sure that it has been adequately maintained and is running smoothly.
P: Proper Lifting Posture
A proper squat is not the only piece of safe lifting, but an important one to get correct! Hips back, chest up. Let us see your logo!
Squaring up to your work will not only make you more productive, but it will make your body happier too! Our spine was not meant to be loaded while in rotation or stay in a rotated position for prolonged periods of time. Do your body a favor and align yourself to your work so that your toes, hips, and shoulders face the task.
The Green Zone is the area from your shoulders to your hips and about a foot out in front of you. It is the optimal zone to be working in. It provides the least stress to the body and allows for optimal movement.
Keeping yourself in a position where your elbows are in towards your body and thumbs are pointed up helps to lower the stress on the shoulders. Ideally, you want to keep your arms at or below shoulder height and shoulders rotated so that the thumbs are pointed up. Your shoulders will thank you!
Every athlete has a diligent routine at the end of their day to re-set and recuperate. That may be using ice, heat, stretching, eating a quality meal, or getting adequate sleep. Ensure you also have a diligent post-game routine to recoup and get ready for another day!