If you’re going to need to be lifting something heavy in the near future, be it for an impending move that you’re doing or for a job doing freight unloading services, it’s important that you prepare your body for this type of work. Otherwise, in your efforts to lift whatever it is you’re trying to move, you could wind up injuring yourself and not being able to complete the job.
To help make sure that this doesn’t happen to you, here are three ways to prep your body for lifting something heavy.
Loosen Up
Before you do anything that’s going to put a lot of stress and pressure on your body, including doing some heavy lifting, it’s wise to take some time to warm up your body and loosen things up. This will help to ensure that you don’t pull a muscle and that your body is ready to handle this extra weight that you’ll be putting on it.
As part of your warm-up, one of the best things that you can do is to walk in place or around the block for about five minutes. This will physically heat up your body and help it get ready for some physical activity. You should also do things like shoulder rolls and squats so that you’re warming up the exact muscles that you’re most likely to use when you go to lift that heavy item.
Focus On Proper Technique
Once your body is warm and you’re ready to actually start lifting the heavy items, the technique that you use will have a big impact on how safe your body is when you’re lifting. If you use the wrong technique or don’t take the task seriously, you could end up putting too much stress and pressure on the wrong parts of your body and hurting yourself.
As a good rule of thumb, some examples of proper technique include maintaining the natural curve of your back so that you’re not bending it unnecessarily, squatting down to get lower rather than bending over, lifting with your legs, keeping the item close to your body, changing direction with your feet rather than twisting your body, and breathing regularly while you’re carrying the heavy item.
Prepare Yourself Mentally
While preparing yourself physically will help you protect your body, you should also prepare yourself mentally when doing heavy lifting.
To do this, you’ll want to think about how heavy the item is and if you can really handle the weight. You should also make a plan for how you’ll safely move the item and what path you’ll take to get it to its final destination. Hyping yourself up can also help you feel stronger as you lift something heavy.
If you have something heavy that you need to be lifting, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you prep your mind and body for the job.