A Simple Lesson

I had to be about 10 years old when my mother introduced me to one of the many lessons I would learn from her. Utilizing her help, she asked me to move a big box from one place to another location. While bending over to pick up the big heavy box, my mother said, “Don’t lift it with your back, lift it with your legs”. That was the lesson from her.

Now in my young, inexperienced mind, I remember thinking “okay, never doubting her wisdom for a minute”. But I was also trying to figure out exactly how wasn’t I using my legs already? How else would I walk with this big heavy box from point ‘A’ to point ‘B’? With my legs – duhhhh! Nevertheless, I tried my best (although I didn’t understand) to use the new found wisdom she bestowed upon me.

It was about two decades later before the clarity of that lesson really crystalized for me. After many years of improperly picking up stuff and after a few more years of weight training – I finally got it! I learned that our legs are the biggest muscles of our body - and should be the strongest. I also learned how to properly perform a squat; and probably more important: A deadlift.

The deadlift is an exercise that uses your whole body to pick up a heavy load. It’s also an exercise where many beginners tend to incorrectly use their backs more than their legs. In essence, it’s the same mistake I was making for a few decades that my mother tried to correct when I was 10.

The proper deadlift takes unnecessary stress and might off of your back, distributing it throughout your body, with your legs handling most of the weight.

Although I was in my 30s when that lesson finally bore fruit, I was happy! And I never forgot who planted that seed.😊 From that time until now, I’ve suffered a few back injuries. Some of those injuries put me down for a day or two, but the worst injury took me out for a few weeks!

Which brings me to the simple lesson I intend on getting across to you:

No, no, no. Not on using your legs instead of your back – which is a great lesson. But on getting clarity when you don’t understand something. As my Aunt Yolanda often quotes, “There’s no better understanding than a clear one”. Asking the right questions and getting a proper demonstration would’ve saved me many years of pain and suffering.

The good news is, I got it now…which is another simple lesson……all seeds don’t blossom at the same time. A nice way of saying I’m a little slow. 😁

Much Love

Soul