ATI physical therapists offer backpack safety, ergonomics tips to military employees
On Tuesday, August 6, Tyler Buege, clinic director at ATI Aberdeen and ATI Belcamp, and Alpa Buege, clinic director at ATI Havre de Grace, presented “Sit Up Straight and Stand Up Tall” to employees at the Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG) military base.
This presentation was part of APG’s CECOM Wellness Program, which features health talks from various healthcare professionals. Civilian employees are invited to attend these focus talks held in the C4ISR Center for Excellence Myer Auditorium.
“This has been a great ongoing partnership for ATI,” said Sharon Gregory, Business Development Director for ATI’s Maryland region. “We enjoy getting to speak with and educate these civilian employees about important health topics.”
Tyler began the presentation by addressing workstation ergonomics and the importance of proper posture. Highlights of his talk included…
- Roll up a small towel to place behind the small of your back. This helps keep your back straight and reduces the likelihood of slouching in your chair.
- Your legs should remain at a 90 degree angle when sitting. Use a footstool or even a few books to prop your feet on if you are too short to reach the ground otherwise.
- Both extremes – poor posture and overcorrection – are bad. While it’s important that you improve your posture, avoid overcorrection, such as curving your lower spine too much inward (lordosis).
Alpa followed up the ergonomic talk with a short presentation on backpack safety. She suggested…
- Make sure the weight of your backpack does not exceed 15% of your body weight.
- Carry the heaviest books/items closest to back.
- Position the bag between your shoulders and hips.
- Talk to your child’s teacher about ways for your student to bring home fewer books. If possible, see if you can get an extra copy of the book to use at home or if the teacher can photocopy small sections of the book for your student to complete homework with.
In addition to last week’s talk about ergonomics and backpack safety, the ATI team has done presentations on women’s health and hydration/heat safety at APG. Future talks will address dealing with aching feet and balance issues, orthopedic injuries, and winter/holiday safety tips.
To learn more about ATI or to request a presentation, contact Abby Ecker, Public Relations Coordinator, at Abigail.ecker@atipt.com.