If you’re preparing for an upcoming move, you might have seen some horror stories online while doing your research. However, while moving is known to be stressful and potentially dangerous, it doesn’t have to mean you will hurt yourself while transporting all your furniture from one location to another. Here are a few tips that will protect your back during a move.
Strengthen your core on time
For starters, if you have some time before you need to move, you can start by working out and strengthening your core. Core actually includes the pelvic and abdominal muscles, so look for some exercises that can make these stronger and thus protect your back. Some lower and upper abdominal work will be crucial here as well as oblique abdominal strengthening. Do some gentle spinal twists as well as the bridge exercise. Moreover, if you already have back pain, these stretches can help you feel better and also prevent future injuries, moving-related and not.
Warm up before you start lifting
Even if you think your core is strong enough, you should still warm up before you start lifting heavy pieces and moving them. Have a quick workout session during which you will stretch out some muscles that you will be using for these activities. So, for example, you should move all your joints a little bit to loosen them up, do some lunges and squats, march in place, climb stairs, and do some side bends. This way, no movements should be too sudden and result in injuries.
Learn how to lift
No matter how warmed up you are, you still need to learn how to lift properly in order to avoid injuries. For example, you want to lower your body toward the items you’re lifting by bending your hips, knees, and ankles. That way, your spine is not the only part of your body being bent. As your spine is more delicate that some of the joints, you want to use the power of your lower body to carry the load.
Use a furniture dolly
Something else you should keep in mind is that there is no need to lift and carry every single thing you own. There are also furniture dollies that you can turn to for the heaviest of items. You will simply have to place the furniture piece on the dolly and roll it to the desired location or the truck. These dollies typically have four or more wheels, which takes all the pressure off your back and gets the job done much quicker. While you can invest in one that you can use whenever you want, you can also rent out a few from companies that handle moving.
Delegate the work to other people
Furthermore, chances are that you will not be alone during this move. You surely have friends and family that will be helping with this endeavor to at least a certain extent. That means that you might be able to delegate some of the lifting work to other people. Everyone can take turns lifting and carrying heavy pieces, while some younger and in-form individuals might offer to take this task completely off your hands. At the very least, have a buddy with you to lift the big pieces together.
Bring in professionals
If none of your friends are free or you simply don’t have the strength to deal with the move, you can always turn to professionals. For example, if you live in New South Wales, you can call in reliable Sydney removalists to take care of the lifting and carrying of big, heavy pieces. Their experts have plenty of experience and knowledge and know exactly how to lift to avoid injuries. Moreover, they can also completely pack and unpack all your belongings.
Don’t do it all at once
Finally, you need to keep in mind that none of this needs to be done immediately and all at once. You will have at least a couple of days to get everything ready, so pace yourself and divide everything into sections, which will make it easier to tackle the whole move. Make sure to take breaks in between lifting and carrying heavy items. Moreover, you should get plenty of rest after you’ve packed most things. Lie down on the floor or another hard surface, bend your knees, and put your feet flat on the ground. This should relieve the fatigue you are feeling in your muscles. Further stretch your back by bringing your knees close to your chest.
If you’re moving soon, make sure to follow these tips to prevent back pain and serious injuries.