How I Improved My Odds for Good Health: Step Three

A particular concern for me is on the job injuries. I know I am not alone in this but at each year passes I recognize the sad truth that when I fall I do not bounce anymore I do more of a splat, break and moan thing.

First I learned to drink plenty of fluids to avoid heat related illness and muscle injuries. When I got a serious back spasm at work four years ago the doctor told me that muscle sprains, and tears and pulled tendons and cramps could be avoided with attention to hydration. You could have knocked me over with a feather ... ok ... so I was already wounded but I did not know that dehydration makes the muscles more susceptible to injury. So to improve my odds of avoiding injury at work I began to pay close attention to my fluid intake. I don't like the taste of the local tap water so I doctor it with something like Crystal Light, Kool-Aid, Gator Aid or some other flavoring. I tried the energy drinks but the caffeine in them shot my blood pressure way up. The exception to that was the Herbal life energy drink and the Isagenix energy drinks. The Herbal life drink has more sodium in it so when I began to cut the sodium out of my diet I went to the Isagenix energy drink and found it satisfactory and lower in sodium.

The second big thing in improving my odds for staying healthy at work was to make sure I wear the right clothing and any recommended safety gear. When I am on the dock where the fork lifts are loading my truck I make sure I have my safety vest on and wear a hard hat if it is recommended. I wear steel toed shoes that lace up over my ankles to prevent crushed toes from falling product or sprained ankles from a miss step on the stairs to the dock. Any dock worker will tell you that goggles and earplugs are a must on the dock and I carry these items in my truck for use where they are not supplied.

I take the body mechanics advice about lifting and moving things seriously, both at home and at work. I use the recommended balanced stance with my feet shoulder width apart and my back straight. I try to make my legs do all the work and do not let my upper body get overbalanced or twisted. If the job is two heavy I just say so. I used to take it as a matter of pride to "do it like the big boys do" but the truth is I am a five foot tall, fifty eight year old woman. I cannot compete with my favorite dock loader who is six foot six and has muscles like a young Arnold Swartzneger. Just getting realistic about how much I can actually do without injury has improved my odds of avoiding injury astronomically.

I make note of company guidelines and check for safety rules every time I go to a new dock. Some places have hazards that I haven't encountered before and I want to know how to protect myself and others before the "ah shoot! That shouldn't have happened ... happens".

I make sure I get enough sleep, I wake up before driving, I make sure my truck seat is adjusted properly and I do not try to drive when I cannot keep my eyes open even if my log book says I can. I have seen too many semi trucks all tangled up because the driver dozed for a second. I have heard every trick the boys can think up to try to stay awake when you are getting sleepy, but the truth is, only one thing works and that is to get a nap.

I do my truck safety checks religiously and take every change in the weather into account. For other people the equivalent to keeping the work area safe might be in keeping walking surfaces clean and dry and free of clutter and making sure all tools and equipment is in good safe working order.

I increase my odds of staying healthy by washing my hands often and taking care of cuts, scrapes and scratches with a wash of hot soapy water followed by betadine solution. I know a big infection can put me out of commission for at least a week and may compromise my health systemically as well. I have a friend who got an infection that was untreated for a while and wound up affecting her heart. I knew my odds of that kind of trouble were pretty high because I come in contact with a lot of dirty surfaces. Washing carefully and often is actually a pleasure as the hot water soothes my aching hands when I have had a tough bit of work.

In fact one key for me to improving my odds for good health is making the healthy choices pleasurable and part of a natural routine. I do not get skin infections anymore from those inevitable little cuts and scrapes, which tells me I am doing the right thing.