Tips for Preventing Injuries During Your Move

Moving is a great way to make a fresh start. You have a new home, new neighbors, and maybe even a new lifestyle. But unfortunately, many of us start our new lives on the wrong foot—literally. If you take a step in the wrong direction while carrying a heavy box or lift a furniture piece that’s just a little too big, you could find yourself with an injury that can lay you out for weeks. 

Fortunately, our tips for preventing injuries during your move are here to help you stay safe as you settle into a new chapter of your life.

Have Enough People

You can easily become injured if you overexert yourself. This can mean trying to carry too many things or carrying an object that’s too heavy. As the saying goes: “Many hands make light work.” The best way to avoid overexertion is to make sure there are enough people helping you.

Tip

Mustering up the troops to tackle a move isn’t always easy with people’s conflicting schedules. Sometimes, you’ll have to make moving a multi-day event instead of doing it all at once. Have a few people come pack up boxes one day, then have a few others move them into the car the next.

Do a Walk-Through First

When you first get to the new house, you’ll often want to start unloading immediately. But it pays to walk through the entire house with everyone. This will allow you to get a sense of the size of doorways and halls. It’ll also give you the chance to assign drop-off locations for different types of boxes, so movers don’t have to loiter in the hall, wondering where to put them.

Use Proper Lifting Techniques

Even the strongest person among your movers can injure themselves if they don’t pick up heavy loads properly. Make sure you know the correct technique for lifting boxes.

• Don’t bend over to pick up a box. Squat down to get level with it.
• Lift the box slowly, using your legs—not your back.
• Hold the box close to your chest while walking.
• Squat to set the box down.

Even using proper technique, chances are you’ll still get sore moving things all day, especially if you’re not used to this kind of work. Take the time to stretch before and after moving and take breaks.

Make a Plan Before Moving Big Objects

Wide and unwieldy furniture can cause accidents. To prevent injuries while moving furniture, stop and strategize first. For example, let’s say you’re moving a massage chair into the house with someone else. Take the time to decide who is moving forward and backward, as well as what route you’re taking into the house and where you want to put the chair.