Avoiding injury when you're on grandkid duty

Mary was carrying her grandson Dylan up the stairs when the 3-year-old suddenly lurched sideways, trying to get out of her arms. She had to tighten her grip on the child and grab the banister to maintain her balance. Her quick thinking saved them both from a fall, but it made Mary wonder what she might do if the situation happened again.

That's not the only type of unpredictable activity we face when we spend time with energetic children. Here are tips to navigate the following potential hazards.

Lifting or carrying squirmy children

Like Dylan, little kids sometimes move around when you try to lift or carry them. "Always take the 'squirm factor' into account. Otherwise, you might not be in the best position and you might hurt your shoulders or back, drop the child, or fall," says Jim Zachazewski, a physical therapist with Mass General Brigham Sports Medicine.

He recommends learning how to lift children properly, so you don't overload your muscles and joints. "Just like when you lift a 40-pound sack of planting mix, you have to squat down a little, bend your knees, keep your back straight, keep the child right in front of you, and lift straight up. Use your leg muscles as opposed to your back and arms," Zachazewski says.

If the child starts moving as you lift or carry him, try to put him down — or hold on tighter and grab something to stabilize yourself, as Mary did.

And be sure your workouts include exercises that strengthen the muscles in your core, shoulders, arms, and legs — especially the quadriceps in the fronts of the thighs and gluteus muscles in the buttocks. You'll find many effective strengthening exercises in the Harvard Special Health Report Body-Weight Exercise.

Chasing after children

Children can run off when you least expect it, whether you're at home, outside, or at a store. Your instinct to tear after them can lead to a fall. "You go to chase them, step on a toy, lose your balance, and fall," Zachazewski says. "And if you go down, no one knows where the child is going."

To stay safe, focus before you run. "Look for obstacles in your way, like a footstool or toys if you're inside, or uneven terrain if you're outside. Find the clearest path. It might not be a straight line," Zachazewski says.

It will also help to keep your balance sharp. Zachazewski suggests that you practice standing on one foot while holding on to a counter. Make it harder by standing on a pillow (again, while holding on to a counter), to get used to balancing on unstable surfaces.

Zachazewski also recommends strengthening your leg muscles and training them to work faster with a "hokey pokey" exercise. To do it, stand sideways next to a counter, feet together. With your hand holding the counter to the left, put your right foot forward and tap the floor, then bring the foot back to the starting position. Do that three times quickly. Then move and tap your foot three times to the side, and then three times behind you. Do the moves as fast as you can. Repeat the sequence several times, and then do the exercise facing the other way, with your hand holding the counter to the right, and moving the left foot just as you moved your right: forward, then to the side, then back.

Getting up and down frequently

Kids think nothing of getting up and down frequently, whether it's from a chair or the floor where they're playing. If you can't keep up, the child might get into another room without you being there. Or you might get hurt as you try to get up and down, perhaps because it triggers a flare of knee or hip osteoarthritis, back pain, or a fall.

To improve your ability to get up and down from a chair, you need strong muscles in your core, legs, and buttocks. Zachazewski recommends strengthening them by doing "sit-to-stand" exercises (repeatedly sitting down in a chair and standing back up, with your arms crossed in front of you).

To get down to the floor to play with your grandkid, Zachazewski suggests kneeling first, and then gently lowering yourself to a sitting position. To get back up, roll onto all fours, then kneel. Bring one leg forward so you are kneeling on one knee, and then push your forward foot into the floor to stand up.

"It's okay if you need to hold on to a sturdy piece of furniture for support," Zachazewski says. "But take it as a sign that it's time to do some strengthening. If you haven't worked out in a while, get your doctor's okay first. Consider working with a physical therapist or a personal trainer. Get stronger for yourself and for your grandchild."

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