When you’re moving from one home to another, you’ll likely end up doing a lot of heavy lifting. However, lifting heavy objects can be dangerous and even lead to injury. To prevent hurting yourself in the process, it’s best to incorporate kinetic lifting techniques, and we will help you understand the correct way to lift heavy objects.
Kinetic lifting is essentially the process of manually lifting heavy objects without using any tools or machinery. The techniques in this lifting form aim to prevent injury and promote safe lifting. Through this process, you’ll be able to properly handle the weight without injuring yourself. It also focuses on good posture and proper manoeuvering.
The first thing you should do when moving heavy objects is to create a clear path. After all, you don’t want to start lifting a heavy object in your arms only to turn around and find a chaotic mess you need to navigate through. Instead, you would want to go with the path of least resistance.
First, you need to determine the route you will be taking. If you’re just on the ground floor, this simply means creating an unobstructed path to the front door. However, when you’re on the second floor or basement, you have to consider your path down or up the stairs.
To start, you can push your furniture and other big items to the walls to create more space to move around in. Next, you should remove any other blockages, which means putting a stopper on the doors so that they don’t accidentally close on you. You should also make sure there isn’t anything on the floor that you can trip on. If you have carpets, it’s best to make sure they are flat on the ground and don’t get in the way.
Before lifting an item, you should assess it. If you’re lifting a box, make sure the bottom is sealed so that the items inside won’t spill out of it. You should also examine the weight of the object. You can gently slide the item from side to side to get a good impression if you can handle it safely or not. If you find the object too heavy to lift on your own, you should ask someone else to help you lift it.
Keep in mind that lifting without injury is all about having the right form. Start by making sure your feet are shoulder-width apart. Maintaining the same width, move one foot slightly in front of the other. As much as possible, make sure your back and neck remain in a straight line. Instead of bending over, bend your knees and go into a squat. Then, tighten your core for more stability.
Make sure you also have a good grip on the object with one hand on either side of it. For bulk items, you should be facing one of the long sides. You can even wear gloves if you want more grip.
When moving the item, take small steps until you gain momentum and move as smoothly as possible. Make sure you maintain the same posture to avoid injury. And when placing the item down, do it slowly for a smooth transition. Similarly, you should still be using your knees to squat instead of bending your back.
Lifting heavy objects can often lead to injuries, especially when you don’t know how to do it properly. So, it’s important to incorporate the kinetic lifting techniques we've mentioned above to prevent injury while lifting. The key is to get into the right form and posture and to maintain it as you lift and move.
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