Let’s be honest, moving day takes it out of even the most physically fit and active people. A lot of people usually finish moving day with back injuries, smashed fingers, twisted joints and even cuts and bruises. That’s why we’ve created a list of tips to help you stay safe during your home move.
1. Don’t rush!
Usually, injuries occur when you’re rushing to vacate a property before the given deadline. Often people take shortcuts, push themselves beyond their limits and skip breaks, just to get out of the home within a narrow timeframe. Here at Home Moovers, we’re here to tell you that all of this can be avoided with a simple plan.
If you’re looking to move without injury, you should start making a plan the day you put your home up for sale. Get your boxes nice and early, declutter your home and find a mover like Home Moovers to get a jump on packing early in the process. Head starts like these can save you a lot of time and injury in the end. Once you’ve set a moving date, you should then create a timeline so that your moving day goes as smoothly as possible. Without any extra stress, you’ll be much more alert and you’ll be better prepared to avoid any injuries.
2. Prep your body
It’s no surprise that if you prepare your body before you move, you’re much less likely to suffer from injuries. Strengthening your core prior to moving day can really help to avoid any injuries. You could try setting a routine to do core exercises or free weight lifting to help build your abdominal and back muscles. As small as it may sound, stretching just 5 minutes every morning can make a huge difference when it comes to preparing your muscles for such a physically demanding day as moving day.
It may also be wise to start your official moving day with a short walk or some aerobic activity to get your heart pumping. Make sure you rotate your joints, twist your torso and stretch to further prevent injuries. Finally, nutrition is just as important as preparing your muscles. So, before you start lifting heavy furniture, try fueling up with a high-protein breakfast to fuel you for the day.
3. Lift light!
It’s no secret that lifting super heavy weights can strain our backs and increase the possibility of dropping them which would lead to further injury. An easy way to avoid lifting injuries is to not overpack your boxes, especially any smaller ones. Depending on your fitness level you’ll likely want to pack no more than 18 kilograms per box, which should be decreased substantially if you have a history of back or knee injuries.
On the other hand, boxes aren’t the only items you’ll need to move. Heavy furniture is often a big feature of moving day too. If you can, break down larger pieces of furniture into lighter loads. However, be sure to remember to put all screws and pieces in a small bag that is secured tightly so you can easily reassemble what you’ve taken apart, in your new home.
4. Use the right equipment
To avoid further injury, you can enlist the help of specialist moving equipment. Furniture dollies, appliance dollies, stair dollies, furniture sliders and moving straps are all available to help you move without injury. Most of these tools can absorb a lot of the weight and make it less likely for you to sustain any injuries. All of these items can also be easily purchased from home improvement stores, or you can rent these if you’re not looking to make long term investments into such equipment. If these tools sound ideal for you, we highly recommend reading the instructions and watching videos online so that you know how to use them properly on moving day, otherwise you can cause more injury rather than save yourself injuries.
5. Dress correctly
When it comes to moving home we can all be found guilty for wearing entirely the wrong clothes. However, what you decide to wear can impact whether you sustain injuries or not. Trousers, long sleeves and fingerless gloves can all help to reduce the chance of sustaining scratches or cuts. Additionally, closed-toed shoes can help to reduce the risk of smashed toes in case a heavy object lands on your foot. If you’re extra cautious, you may want to wear heavy-duty boots to offer extra support to keep your ankle from twisting during the move.
Back braces and knee braces can be especially helpful if you’ve previously suffered from these types of injuries before. Overall, it’s much better to take extra precautions rather than forgo them and cause serious injury.
If you’re looking to move home, let us take care of all the hard work and get a free online quote to see how much you could move for!