DIY / Home Improvement, Featured

How to Move Heavy Objects: The Only Guide You Need

Whether you’re moving heavy furniture or trying to do more work at your construction job, you need to know how to move heavy objects the right way.

Otherwise, you could easily find yourself doing irreparable damage to your body that even expensive medical bills won’t be able to fix.

In this article, we’ll give you a few quick tips on how to move heavy objects.

Stretch First

When you move a heavy object, your muscles are going to be straining quite heavily. If you have any amount of distance to go or if you’ve got quite a few objects to move, then your muscles are going to spend a lot of time under tension.

To avoid straining your muscles, first take a few minutes to do some stretching to get more muscles loose and warm. Dynamic stretches that involve movement achieve both of those goals.

Push, Don’t Pull

It’s generally far easier to push an object than it is to pull one. That is because you can put more momentum and weight behind a pushing effort than you can behind a pull. Pushing also allows you to use less of your back, which is one of the most common areas that get strained when you’re moving heavy objects.

If you’re able to move it on a floor without having to live it, then always push, don’t pull.

Lay Cardboard Down on the Floor

Another great way to move heavy furniture on the floor is by laying cardboard down on the floor first. 

Cardboard has a lower coefficient of sliding friction than your average floor does. This means that the frictional force resisting your push will be lower, allowing you to move the object much easier.

Use a Dolly

If you have a long way to go, then a dolly could be a boon in your moving large furniture attempt.

A dolly is a two-wheeled apparatus that you can very easily load a heavy object on. Then, you balance the dolly and the furniture on those two wheels and roll it to where you need to go.

Reduce Your Load First

If you’re in the process of moving heavy furniture, then try to lighten your load before setting your nose to the grindstone.

For instance, if you’re moving a dresser, take the drawers out of it first. If you’re moving a sofa set, take the cushions off. Even these small weight savings can be felt when you try to move it.

Know When to Call in Professionals

Sometimes, the answer to the question of how to lift heavy objects by yourself is simply that you can’t. For instance, you’re not going to be able to move a grand piano by yourself — that’s just not happening.

If you’re moving a piano or any similar kind of heavy object that’s not possible for just one person to move, call in a professional service that can take care of the job for you. 

How to Move Heavy Objects, Made Simple

Now that you know how to move heavy objects, you should be better equipped to move the heavy items in your home around without straining your body too much.

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