Marina del Rey Hospital

Southern California is, oddly enough, the stingray capital of the country. Lifeguards across the region treat more than 10,000 stings a year, and round stingrays are a familiar summer presence along our own LA County beaches. Warmer water and fewer predators keep drawing them closer to shore, which means more of us crossing paths with them every season. Most people instinctively reach for ice when it happens, which turns out to be the opposite of what helps. Here is what actually does.

The lift that gets you is rarely the one you brace for. It is the cooler you grab sideways through the car door, or the board you swing up while half turned to talk to someone. Backs do not mind hard work nearly as much as they mind awkward, twisted, off balance work. Square up, keep it close, move your feet instead of your waist, and the heavy beach gear stays a footnote instead of the reason you are flat on the couch tomorrow.