How should you position your body while giving chest compressions?

When performing chest compressions during CPR, it is crucial to position your body correctly to ensure effective compressions. The correct approach is to keep your elbows locked and your shoulders positioned directly over your hands. This alignment allows you to use your body weight to generate sufficient force for compressions that are deep enough—ideally at least 2 inches in depth for adults. This technique also promotes the proper rhythm and minimizes fatigue, enabling the rescuer to maintain effective compression for the duration of the resuscitation effort.

Maintaining a straight posture with locked elbows ensures that the compressions are delivered vertically, maximizing the force applied to the chest. This positioning is critical in helping to create blood flow during the cardiac arrest situation, as the downward thrust compresses the heart effectively.

Other positioning methods, such as bending the elbows, leaning back, or having knees on the ground, could compromise the compressions’ effectiveness, either reducing the depth or altering the angle at which compressions are delivered. This can lead to insufficient chest compressions during CPR, negatively impacting the chances of restoring a pulse and effectively delivering oxygen to the brain and vital organs.