Abstract: A manual lifting aid for assisting persons up from a seated or lying position is disclosed, where the lifting aid has a seat portion and a lifting strap. The lifting strap is attached to the bottom of the seat portion such that it extends the entire length of the seat portion and the ends of the lifting strap extend beyond the tapered ends of the seat portion. The lifting aid is used by positioning the seat portion under the buttocks of the person to be lifted, grasping the handles at the ends of the lifting strap, and exerting upward pressure by pulling up on the handles. The lifting strap is of a sufficient length that it permits the user(s) to stand erect, or nearly erect, at the time they exert upward pressure to raise the person or object to be lifted. Stress on the lower back is therefore reduced because the user(s) no longer have to bend at the waist while trying to lift upward.