How to move heavy weight items?

There are many mistakes that you can make during your move that can only hurt you financially. But when you move heavy weight items you risk hurting yourself physically. If you are not used to handling heavy items there are steps you need to take in order to minimize the risk of injury. If you are moving to Minneapolis you should consider hiring professional movers to help you with your possessions.

Get the necessary equipment to move heavy weight items

First things first, you need to get yourself and the people helping you properly equipped. Thining that you can just come in your everyday clothes and slippers and safely move heavy weight items is a sure way to get yourself hurt. Some of the things that you will need are the following.

Proper clothes

You and the people helping you need to dress properly. You don’t need to spend much, but a little money spent on proper clothes can go a long way when handling heavy objects.

• Splinter and scratches are a risk and you should, therefore, avoid short sleeves. Long sleeved shirts are ideal since you won’t overheat in them and start sweating, and your arms will be safe from scratches.
• A good pair of work boots will give you stability and help keep you safe in case a heavy object falls on your feet. Sprained ankles and even broken feet are known and common injuries in the moving industry. You need something that will protect you from both falling objects and from slipping.
• Working gloves are a must. Hand injuries are the most overlooked ones and are therefore most common. You need to protect yourself from splinters, but more importantly, you need to keep your hand from slipping when you move heavy weight items.

Lifting equipment

Not all things are easily lifted by just grabbing them. Some things are either too big or have an uncomfortable shape and would be much better lifted with proper equipment. Consider getting lifting belts and harnesses to help yourself. To move heavy weight items is difficult on its own, let alone when you cannot properly grab them. A little equipment can go a long way. Consider talking with your friends and together investing in buying them. If you are in such a relationship that you help each other move, you might as well invest in them since it will be easy to share them. And if you don’t have anyone to help you, you should hire Minneapolis movers to give you a hand.

Proper technique

When lifting a heavy object there is a proper way to do things. Since you aren’t moving extreme weights you don’t need to practice these techniques too much, but some guidelines are required if you want to avoid injury.

Keep your back straight

Whenever you lift something you need to keep your back straight. If your back is crooked or bent you risk injuring yourself since you are putting too much strain on your lower back muscles. Since we live in a sedentary society we are not used to using our legs to go down and our back are weaker because of it. Always concentrate on keeping your back straight when you move heavy weight items.

Lift with your legs

Next thing to focus on is lifting with your legs. If you haven’t practiced this, you are not used to doing it. While keeping your back straight you need to use your legs to lift the heavy objects off the ground. If you only use your arms and back you not only risk injury, but you will tire yourself more quickly. You want to distribute the work as much as you can throughout your body if you want to do it properly. Don’t bend your knees over your feet, since that risks getting them flexed and injured.

Rest if necessary

Consider this a marathon, not a race. Since you are tired you will have the incentive to do things as quickly as possible. But if you do that the risk of injury increases exponentially. Take your time and give yourself room to properly rest. If you are having friends helping you, make sure that you are all on the same page. Efficiency is important, of course, but you want to do things properly not quickly. Being in a rush puts you in too much of a risk, and you should avoid that as much as possible.

How to sequence moving heavy objects

You have your proper clothes and equipment, and you have informed the people to help you move heavy weight items. Then, you need to take a proper sequence if you want to make sure that all goes without mistakes.

Warmup

The first thing you need to do is to warm yourself up. Basic mobility exercises will rush blood to your arms and legs and prepare you for the work you have to do. Every professional athlete will inform you on just how important warmup is. If you do not warm up you risk muscle cramps and dizziness. Having proper blood flow and blood pressure in your body will make sure that you are using it correctly.

Work gradually

Start with small weights. You might think that it would be best to move heavy object now while you are still fresh, but no. You need to prepare your body and practice lifting techniques on smaller items. Remember, even though you are not lifting heavy at first, you need to use proper technique. Your body needs to learn how to properly move with smaller weight in order to move properly with bigger ones. Start small and work your way up. Don’t rush anything. Give yourself time to rest and regain your strength.

Stretch

When you are done with moving heavy weight items, you will need to stretch. Your muscles will be tired, and if you want to do them a big favor and not wake up sore once you start unpacking your boxes you should stretch. Some basic Yoga exercises will give you muscles the relaxation they need in order to properly recover.