The Gift That Keeps on Giving

In the hospital my PT had me reach down with my sound hand to pick up cones sitting on a stool and stand up to place the cones on a shelf at head height.  I saw the value of this exercise when I started to wobble less as I reached down to pull up my pants at the toilet. I could not go home if I needed 24 hour assistance for toileting.  When Michelle did not have me squat in the morning,
I asked to do it in the afternoon.  After I went home activity analysis helped me identify how squatting keeps me safe during dozens of tasks.  Activity analysis is the gift that keeps on giving because it tells me WHY I WORKED SO HARD.

   I bend my knees and hips when I reach down to:
* Pull up my underwear and pants after toileting
* Pick up my cane after it has fallen on the floor for the thousandth time
* Get clothing out of the bottom drawer of the dresser
* Get shoes from the floor of the closet
* Get a milk carton sitting on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator
* Get a box of cereal from the bottom shelf of a kitchen cabinet
* Get a heavy pot from the bottom shelf of a kitchen cabinet
* Get a box of dishwasher detergent from under the sink
* Take a heavy book from bottom shelf of book case
* Plug a cord into a low electrical outlet 
* Pull clothes out of the dryer
* Use a garden hose to fill a watering can that is sitting on the ground
* Empty a waste basket
* Pickup a bag of garbage to take it to the outdoor garbage can
* Pick up purchases sitting on the floor of my car

P.S. Reaching down by bending at the waist with straight legs is hard on my arthritic low back.
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