How to Lift Without Hurting Your Back

Low back pain is one of the most common reasons people seek physical therapy, and lifting is one of the most common triggers.

It might happen when you pick up a laundry basket.When you lift your child.When you grab groceries from the trunk.Or when you train at the gym.

Most people assume they “threw their back out.”In reality, back pain from lifting is rarely about the weight itself.

It is about how your body handles load.

Your spine is built to be strong. The problem is that most of us were never taught how to lift in a way that protects it. Over time, poor movement habits, tight hips, weak core support, and breath holding place repeated stress on the spine until it finally speaks up.

The good news is that lifting does not have to hurt. With the right mechanics, your body can move powerfully, safely, and confidently.

Why Lifting Hurts Your Back

When you lift something, your spine should stay stable while force moves through your hips, legs, and core.

Back pain tends to show up when:

• ✓ The spine bends or twists under load

• ✓ The hips and glutes are not contributing enough

• ✓ The core is not supporting the spine

• ✓ The movement is rushed or poorly controlled

• ✓ Breath is held, increasing pressure inside the abdomen

Lifting often exposes weaknesses that already exist. Instead of strong hips and legs doing the work, smaller spinal structures are forced to compensate. Over time, that overload can lead to muscle strains, joint irritation, disc flare ups, and lingering stiffness.

Your Spine Is Strong, But It Needs Support

Your spine is not fragile. It is designed to move and handle weight.

What it needs is support from the rest of your system, including:

• ✓ Deep abdominal muscles

• ✓ Pelvic floor

• ✓ Back stabilizers

• ✓ Breathing muscles

• ✓ Hip and leg muscles

When this system works together, your spine stays stable and protected. When it does not, the spine becomes vulnerable, especially during bending and lifting.

This is why people who sit for long hours, have tight hips, previous injuries, or poor core coordination are more likely to experience low back pain from lifting.

The Biggest Lifting Mistake

The most common mistake we see is bending from the back instead of the hips.

When the spine rounds or overarches under load, the discs and joints absorb stress that should be handled by the hips and legs. This often leads to:

• ✓ Sudden back spasms
• ✓ Muscle strains
• ✓ Disc irritation
• ✓ Lingering stiffness

Safe lifting is not about being rigid. It is about keeping the spine stable while the hips do the work, supported by proper breathing and core engagement.

Step by Step: How to Lift Safely

Step 1: Set a Strong Starting Position

Before you lift, pause and check your setup.

You want:

• ✓ Feet about hip width apart
• ✓ Weight evenly distributed
• ✓ Chest stacked over pelvis
• ✓ Shoulders relaxed
• ✓ Head aligned with your spine

This stacked posture gives your spine support before the movement even begins.

Step 2: Use a Hip Hinge

Instead of bending through your back, push your hips backward as if closing a car door with your hips.

Your knees will bend slightly, but your spine stays long and neutral.

This allows:

• ✓ Your glutes and thighs to generate force

• ✓ Your spine to stay protected

• ✓ Your core to stay engaged

Feeling a stretch in your hamstrings is normal and a sign you are hinging correctly.

Step 3: Keep the Load Close

The farther an object is from your body, the more strain it places on your back.

Always:

• ✓ Hold the object close to your torso
• ✓ Avoid reaching or twisting while carrying weight
• ✓ Turn your whole body instead of rotating through the spine

Even light objects can overload the back when held away from your center of mass. Keeping the load close dramatically reduces spinal stress.

Step 5: Lift With Your Legs, Not Your Back

As you rise:

• ✓ Push through your heels

• ✓ Use your glutes and thighs

• ✓ Keep your spine tall and steady

Your back muscles should stabilize, not generate the lift.If you feel the effort primarily in your lower back instead of your legs, your technique needs adjustment.

Common Lifting Habits That Cause Back Pain

We see back pain develop from:

• ✓ Rushing through lifts

• ✓ Twisting while holding weight

• ✓ Holding the breath

• ✓ Overusing the back instead of the hips

• ✓ Lifting while fatigued

It is rarely one heavy lift that causes chronic pain. More often, it is small habits repeated day after day.

Why Some People Hurt Their Back More Easily

If you sit often, have had past injuries, or lack hip mobility and core coordination, your body may default to using your back for movement.

This does not mean your body is broken.It means your movement patterns need retraining.

Physical therapy helps by:

• ✓ Improving hip mobility

• ✓ Building core and pelvic floor support

• ✓ Re-educating lifting mechanics

• ✓ Restoring confidence in movement

Your back does not need to keep paying the price for inefficient movement.

What About Lifting at the Gym?

The same principles apply:

• ✓ Neutral spine

• ✓ Strong hips

• ✓ Controlled breathing

• ✓ Quality form

Exercises like squats, deadlifts, and kettlebell movements can support long term back health when performed well. Pain during these movements is a signal that something in your mechanics, strength, or control needs adjustment.

Avoiding lifting altogether often makes back pain worse by weakening the system meant to protect your spine.

The Bottom Line

Back pain does not mean your body is fragile.It means your body needs better support, better coordination, and better movement strategies.

When you hinge from your hips, keep your spine stable, breathe effectively, and lift with control, your back can stay strong for life.

And if lifting still hurts, one-on-one physical therapy at Breakaway Physical Therapy can help identify what your body needs so you can move confidently without pain again.

If you want help retraining how your body lifts, moves, and supports itself, that conversation is the next step.