How to Avoid Injury While Moving to a New State?

May 26, 2022 / Posted in How-to
Milly Andrews

Born and raised in Portland, Milly has had a lot of experience moving and writing about the relocation process.

Cross-country moves tend to be chaotic, and in the midst of all that chaos, people often forget to take care of the most important thing – themselves. Every person planning a relocation should learn how to avoid injury while moving. This process is challenging not only emotionally but physically too, leaving plenty of room for different kinds of injuries. Steer clear of them by using the following tips.

Girl touching her injured back after cross-country moving
With our tips, you won't have to worry about getting injured during the move

Good organization, clear pathways, and enough hours of rest are necessary preconditions of a safe move. However, injuries are most common during the relocation day, with all the lifting and carrying. In order to escape them, be sure you have the essential equipment for handling large and bulky objects. Learning proper lifting techniques and preparing your body for hard physical work is crucial, but keep in mind that getting injured can most easily be avoided if you hire movers.

What Are the Most Common Relocation Injuries?

If you’re not careful enough, there are many different ways you can get hurt when relocating to another home. Here are some things you should look out for the most:

  • Injured back and knee, usually caused by improper box and furniture carrying,
  • Broken fingers and toes,
  • Cuts, bruises, and scrapes,
  • Sprained ankles.

Luckily, you’ll be able to prevent all of them by taking proper precautions. If you want to be safe while relocating your belongings or transporting a car from state to state, you must learn all that you can do to protect yourself when the move comes. We’ve already prepared the list – all you have to do is follow our instructions.

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A Good Night’s Sleep Before Relocation Day Is an Initial Step Toward Increasing Your Safety

One of the essential preconditions of relocating safely is staying focused on any task you’re finishing at the moment. However, if you’re exhausted, your body will be tired, and your focus will slip easily, which will bring a higher risk of being injured. That is why it’s important you have a full night’s sleep before the move. Instead of trying to finish as much as you can the night before, rest. Recharge your mind and muscles, and reduce the chances of getting harmed.

Good Organization of Moving-Related Tasks Can Help Avoid Many Issues, Including Injuries

It’s not only lack of sleep that can affect bad performance, as you must also count on the heightened emotions. Anxiety and frustration are common companions of each relocation to a new home but are often dominant when you need to rush the whole process. Therefore, be sure you start preparing for a move on time and plan a move to another city in detail. Create a to-do list and the timetable for each item on it. Checking the items off the list will lessen the feeling of worry and, therefore, allow you to focus better on the tasks ahead.

Be Especially Careful If You’re Relocating in Bad Weather

Relocating in the winter is much harder than regular relocation due to cold, snow, and ice. Low temperatures and multi-layer clothing can affect your performance immensely, while slippery walkways represent a real safety hazard for you and all others who are helping. Therefore, listen to a weathercast several days before and prepare for some ice-breaking, if needed.

A move in the rain can also threaten your safety, but so can relocation in the summer, in the middle of high heat. Keep in mind that these external factors will undoubtedly make your move more challenging and heighten the chances of being harmed. In all of these cases, the best solution is to get long-distance moving services and let trained professionals bring your move to an end.

Clear the Pathway as Much as You Can on the Day of the Move

Whether you opt for hiring movers or not, keep in mind that walkways must stay completely clear – no matter the weather. What are the tips to avoid back injuries, you asked? Removing all the possible obstacles is one of the most important parts of relocation day preparations. Pictures on the walls, low-hanging chandeliers, kid’s toys, and decorative lamps – all of that need to be cleared before you start loading objects into the truck. Otherwise, bumping into them or stepping on them will inevitably lead to someone getting hurt.

Long-distance movers carrying household goods
Even the smallest of obstacles can be a safety hazard, so be sure they are all cleared

Get the Right Equipment to Prevent Back Pain after Moving Furniture, Appliances, and Other Heavy Objects

Relocating large items will be the physically most challenging part of the move, so you should look at ways of making this task a bit easier. What is the best way to avoid injury when moving an object, especially a bulky one? Getting the right equipment can be a good solution, so consider renting or buying:

  • Sliders – carrying heavy objects can cause severe back pain, so consider sliding them instead. You can opt for professional sliders or make something of the items that can be found in your own home. However, so you can escape any damage, use softer materials for hardwood surfaces. For surfaces covered with rugs, plastic can work just fine.
  • Furniture dollies – with them, chances of damaging your floor are even lower, but they do come more expensive than simple sliders. However, keep in mind that they can be a handy tool not only for relocating large objects but also boxes.
  • Lifting straps – another simple piece of relocation equipment professional cross-country movers often use. They transfer the object’s weight from your back towards stronger parts of your body, such as shoulders and arms. However, remember that, in most cases, you’ll need another person’s assistance to move a very large item.

What Are 8 Ways to Avoid Injuries?

When relocating to a new state, remembering the following long-distance moving tips can keep you safe and harm-free, so try to memorize them all. Be sure to:

1. Prepare yourself physically

If you’re a fitness enthusiast, great, but many who are not can work on back strengthening and getting their muscles ready for a hard day of work. Weight lifting, planks, and similar exercises will help you get in shape for all your future work and, simultaneously, reduce the chances of getting injured.

2. Warm-up before you start with the work

Not warming up before hard physical work can have significant consequences. Undemanding warming up exercise will help you loosen up your joints and improve the blood flow so your muscles won’t rip during the move. You don’t want to have sore muscles when the unpacking time comes!

3. Dress appropriately for the occasion

Your wardrobe and shoewear should be less of a fashion statement and more practical. To protect your toes from sudden drops, wear closed shoes. As for the clothes, it would be best to have a material covering every part of your body to escape incidental scratches.

4. Learn proper lifting techniques

Keep a wide base and your back straight, lift with your legs, and not bend your back – it will move the item’s weight off your back. When relocating a heavy object or a box, always have this technique in mind.

5. Plan the packing process to the fullest

Of course, the easiest way to pack for a move is to get professional packing services. However, when that’s not an option, don’t let some of the packing mistakes cost you your health. For starters, find surfaces where you’ll leave packed boxes and dedicate a room that will hold all packing supplies – leaving them all over the place, may end up with you tripping over and getting hurt. Simultaneously, make sure you choose the right-sized boxes and do not overfill them. Not only will they be hard to lift, but the cardboard may not withstand the weight.

6. Consider safety gear

Protective helmets and gloves are part of the equipment you’ll see with cross-country movers as well. When you do not want to take any chances, protective gear is an excellent solution. It will keep your head, hands, and other parts of your body safe.

7. Remember to rest on the relocation day

Overworking yourself will only increase the risk of being injured. When you start getting tired, remember to take some time off. Bringing yourself to your physical limits can have many unwanted effects, so remember to rest and breathe.

8. Stop when you start feeling pain

Many people tend to continue with hard work even when pain occurs. However, pain is how your body signals that something isn’t right. Ignoring it and continuing to work will, in that case, undoubtedly lead to a more severe injury.

Learn a Tip or Two about Driving Long-Distance

Sadly, relocating furniture, boxes, and other heavy items is not the only time you can get injured. Driving a car across the country can also have painful consequences – the further you go, the more severe they’ll be. Still, there is a way to mitigate the negative effects of long drives. All you have to do is correct your sitting posture and adapt the driving seat better. Look at the video below to find out some tips on how to do it right:

Hire Movers to Help You With Auto Transport

Lengthy drives are not safe for several reasons – injuries from improper sitting are just one of them. In order to be safe while driving, you need to have excellent focus at all times. However, with cross-country moving, that isn’t always the case. Not only that you’ll be emotionally exhausted, but you won’t be able to hold the same level of concentration for that many hours. That is why getting assistance from an auto transport company is always the best solution. Additionally, keep in mind that you may not need to search for a third-part car shipping company – many reputable relocation companies can offer you this service as well.

Don’t Hesitate to Ask for a Helping Hand (Or a Few)

Even if you opt to move by yourself, it doesn’t mean you can’t ask your loved ones for assistance in order to move efficiently and safely. It will reduce the amount of time needed to complete the move, but that is not all. Divided work means that your body will suffer less, reducing the risks of getting harmed. Simultaneously, being surrounded by friends and family will put you in a good mood, lessening negative emotions that may impact your focus.

Have a Plan Prepared for Your Kids and Pets

You have to think not only about your well-being but also about the safety of those who depend on you. If you’re relocating with pets or kids, you must be sure they are taken care of. Since you’ll be dealing with the relocation work, ask someone you can trust to watch over the young ones or your furry friends. Do not let it be one of the things you forget to do when you move! Nobody will be safe with pets and kids running around – not them, not you, and not long-distance movers (if you’ve decided to hire them).

Kids playing in the park before cross-country moving
Make sure to take care of those who can't do it by themselves

How to Avoid Injury While Moving? Let Professionals Deal With Backbreaking Work

How can you avoid potential injury when pulling a load? Letting someone else do it is a simple yet efficient solution. If you want to achieve injury and stress-free move, your best bet is to search for a prime long-distance moving company and let professionals help you relocate to a new home. They have all the experience and knowledge to keep themselves and your belongings safe – and you can focus on other tasks that don’t bring the risk of getting injured.

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