No matter how old you are, you risk injuring your back and spine if you aren’t careful when moving. The danger that most people don’t realize is that when you move, you use muscles that you might not have used in a while. You also contort your body in unusual ways in order to lift boxes and furniture and to put them into place in the moving truck or your new home. Injuries can happen in an instant but last a long time. You don’t have to get injured on moving day. Here are some tips from our Boca Raton chiropractor to protect your spine when moving.

Start Off With Light Boxes

Warm-up your body by just dealing with the lightboxes first. That will give your back muscles time to warm up and be ready to more heavy things later in the day. Once you’re all warmed up you’ll be better able to move at least some of the smaller furniture pieces.

Use The Most Efficient Movements For Each Object

Be efficient with your movements. Many household objects can be very awkward to move. For example, for mattresses, turn it on its side and slide it along. You don’t have to actually lift it until you’re ready to place it into the truck. When lifting boxes, bend down into a squat position and then lift the box with your legs, keeping your spine straight. When you try and pick up a box while standing, it puts the most pressure on a single point on the spine, which is a recipe for a sore back.

Hire Some Help For The Heavier and Unwieldy Objects

Save the large pieces of furniture and heavy boxes for last. After you’ve finished moving out most of the lighter things in the house, you can deal with the unwieldy objects. For those, hire some help. Just one or two extra people can make the heavier items much easier to handle.

Finally, don’t try to rush your move. Take small breaks often. Sit down with a glass of water and rest for just a few minutes. This will give your spine and muscles a chance to rest, too. Use these tips to ensure that you don’t get injured on moving day.