The Unintended Workout: Moving Day

This past weekend, my wife and I moved into our new home. With moving, there is of course packing, and once packing is completed, the lifting of heavy boxes and awkward sofas begins. I enlisted the help of a few friends with the majority of the lifting performed by myself and my best friend who luckily, enjoys working out as much as I do so he was able to put forth a monstrous effort that was equal to my own.

The aftermath of the move has opened my eyes to some weak points that I need to focus on with my workout program. An example of this is the soreness I am currently experiencing in my gluteus medius (see butt exercises for example exercises). I do not consider this a bad thing, actually, it is quite good. It shows that I was not using my lower back to lift the objects but lifting properly with my legs then using the gluteus medius to support the heavier objects around the hips, a vastly superior approach than allowing the lower back to support excessively heavy weights.

Other muscle groups experiencing some tenderness are the lower bicep regions which is probably a result of carrying objects in front of the body at arms length and the inner portion of the lats. I am no stranger to lat exercises but this shows I need to be a bit more conscious of my form and really squeeze the lats together at the apex of the exercise motion. Let this be a lesson, there are always adjustments and improvements to be made to anyone's workout.

Two full days after the move, I feel great and am quite glad to know that safety and technique were paramount during the move. Remember, moving bulky items is a lot like performing deadlifts, do not round the back while lifting the objects as this can lead to injury. As the old saying goes, "Lift with your legs, not with your back". If you are moving soon, we wish you the best of luck for a safe and efficient move!