Whether you’re rearranging furniture in your home, moving items into your Lock Up Self Storage unit, or moving from one home to another, there’s a risk of injuring yourself when dealing with heavy items. If you do not take measures to protect yourself, you can end up with a pulled muscle or worse, a broken bone. Don’t take the chance! Here are some helpful tips to make any move safer, smoother, and less stressful.
- Lift with your legs.
Maintaining proper alignment and body mechanics when lifting heavy items is of the utmost importance. Never bend at the waist and lift a heavy object; doing so can cause back strain that will take you out of the moving game. The correct way to lift a heavy item is to bend at the knees into a squat position, take hold of the item and then rise to a standing position, making sure to keep your back straight. This is the safest way to lift a heavy item. - Protect your hands.
You never want to put yourself in harm’s way when dealing with heavy items. Wearing moving gloves that have a good grip on them is a great way to ensure that an unwieldy and heavy item stays in your hands and doesn’t slip away. If you don’t have access to such gloves, be sure to remove your rings so there’s no risk of them catching on something in the event that it does slip out of your grip. While you’re at it, you might want to remove any other jewelry or loose fitting clothes that could catch on items. - When in doubt push or pull.
If you don’t think you can handle lifting an item, try pushing or pulling it instead. Of course, you don’t want to damage any nice flooring underneath, but if you can use a moving blanket or some towels underneath an item and scoot it across the floor, you can save yourself from injury. - Don’t rush.
Trying to move in a hurry is when mistakes happen and that’s when injuries can occur. Avoid hastily stacking items or rushing about with your hands full. These practices result in sloppy work areas and that allows for accidents such as tripping over wires or having stacks of boxes come tumbling down onto you or a loved one. Slow and steady wins the race…without injuries. - Get by with a little help from your friends.
A helping hand from a friend or family member can go a long way. It’s not always possible to move a heavy item on your own. With one or more sets of hands, moving a heavy item can be a breeze and less of a strain.
Do you have any tips for staying safe while moving? We’d love to hear them! Share them below.
And if you’re in need of a self storage unit, visit us at www.thelockup.com.
