Moving from one home to another can be a real time-drain, with people often spending months just getting ready. Packing up and relocating isn’t quick or easy, so why not turn your move into a workout?
With all the organizing, packing, cleaning, and moving, it might feel like there’s no time left for a typical workout. Finding the time for regular exercise is tough enough, let alone when you’re in the midst of a move. But even if you can’t hit the gym, you can still get a good workout by incorporating some activity into the moving process.
When packing and unpacking, you’ll spend a lot of time sitting around. During these lulls, try to take a five-minute break every hour to get moving. You could run in place, do some yoga poses, or knock out a few jumping jacks. If you’re feeling ambitious, try doing tasks while standing or squatting to give your legs a workout.
If you find yourself with a bit of extra time, go for a full workout to tone up and get those abs in shape. Use that as motivation to speed up your move. Many folks hire professional movers to handle everything, but in doing so, you miss out on some great opportunities to burn calories. Try moving as many items as you can on your own, though leave the heaviest or most fragile pieces to the pros.
Moving heavy furniture and boxes can burn lots of calories and also help you work on your leg and arm muscles. Just make sure to stretch regularly. Moving will work your back and leg muscles in ways they aren’t used to, especially when you’re bending over boxes for long periods. Without proper stretching before, during, and after, you could risk injury.
Consider doing some yoga to manage any back pain and keep your body relaxed. Stretching can make a big difference, especially given how much bending over comes with moving. If you stretch properly, you’ll feel fewer aches and pains later on.
Although moving can take up a lot of time, interrupting your usual workout routine, you can still incorporate some exercise and burn a surprising number of calories by being active throughout the process.
