Summer is always a busy time of year!

If you’re not personally moving into a new home, then we can almost guarantee that you know someone who is. As a good friend or close family member, you’ll probably get roped into helping someone else move, especially if you want their help moving in the future.

Hiring a moving company is usually the best way to go but is definitely more expensive than a case of beer and some good ol’ fashioned guilt tripping. If you’re an introverted soul or maybe just realized none of your friends are that great, your first step in the moving process might be to make more friends. Unconventional, but definitely works. Who knows? This could be your personal rom com meet cute moment with the future love of your life!

Otherwise, grab your friends, a couple of pizzas, put the beers in the fridge, and get ready to tackle those boxes.

Plan Ahead

Before you move anything, don’t forget this step! Plan where you’re going to put something before you pick it up. Trust us, you’ll be thankful. Like a classic sitcom bit, the last thing you want is to lift something heavy and then have to hold/move it around while others are trying to find the perfect spot. Also, take some measurements! Don’t be the Ross Geller of your friend group yelling “PIVOT” on a stuck piece of furniture.

Legs For Days

You don’t have to be a chiropractor to know that lifting heavy things is bad for your back. In fact, we bet you’ve heard, “lift with your legs!” at least once in your life. Okay but how? And does it really help?

The simple answer is yes! Absolutely! Think through this logically with us for a moment. Did you know that leg presses allow you to exercise your thighs and glutes without involving any other muscles? That’s why you can press more weight at the gym with just your legs than if you were doing a different exercise like squats. For squats, you’re limited by how much weight your shoulders and back muscles can sustain. However, your thighs and glutes are pure muscle and are stronger by definition. What does this mean in numbers? Think of a man who weighs roughly 150 pounds. As a beginner’s level of weight training, he should be able to press 170 pounds! That number soars to 791 pounds for an elite weightlifter of the same build. So yeah, you’ll be able to move painlessly (or at least do less damage) if you use your legs to lift.

Lift For Life

Okay! Now that you know just how strong your legs can be, let’s talk about how to use them properly.

  1. Kneel down next to the object like you’re taking a knee at a football game.
  2. Wrap your arms securely around the object while keeping a natural back. You shouldn’t be perfectly straight or twisted/contorted at a weird angle.
  3. Push from the balls of your toes with your back foot raise yourself vertically sending all of your strength into your thighs and through to the bottoms of your feet.

That’s it! Three totally easy steps that will save your back in the long run. Maybe your knees are bothering you, another option is to squat in front of the box — assuming the position that children usually bowl in, crouched down with their arms in between their legs — and lift the object that way. Really, so long as you’re lifting with your legs and keeping your back in a natural position then you’re already doing better than most.

Prospect Family Chiropractic Center

If you’ve already injured your back moving, we can help! Remember, you only ever get one spine and robotic vertebrae aren’t common yet. We doubt that moving your sister-in-law’s 55 gallon turtle tank up four flights of stairs is really worth a slipped disk or two. Our advice this summer? Be sure to be conscious of your body and lift properly. Also don’t help anyone move for less than pizza and beer, that’s just common courtesy. Did you do everything right but something still feels off? Schedule an appointment and we’d be happy to get you feeling like your best self again.