Moving home is one of the most stressful things you can do; not only does it require physical endurance, but also bags of emotional strength and heightened organizational skills.
Moving involves coping with change, and it represents a transition in life. Most of us like familiarity, order and our routine, but when you're moving, you have none of those. It’s the start of a knock-on effect of change throughout your life, at least for the next few months.
So let's look at five useful tips to keep healthy when you move.
1- Keep Exercising
Moving boxes and furniture requires strength and agility, so even the fittest person may find it hard going over time. The trick is to warm up properly beforehand, especially if you’ve suffered from back problems and muscle strain in the past.
It may sound odd, but exercising regularly before and during the move is a great idea. Maintaining your fitness will make sure you don’t seize up and become unable to lift your boxes and ultimately, hurt yourself.
A great tip is to plan the journey in your mind ahead of time. Visualize where you’re going and plan the quickest and easiest route through the house or flat to your destination. This way, you can cut out unnecessary journeys, save time and minimize the chance of injury.
On a practical point, learn to lift correctly. Have a straight back, keep your hips low and initially lift using your legs. Many lower back injuries are caused by not using the right technique.
Another piece of advice is to wear gloves with rubber palms when you’re doing the heavy lifting, as this will stop heavy items from slipping out of your hands by maintaining grip and protecting your fingers.
Don’t forget your feet. It’s tempting to move items in bare feet or indoor slippers, especially if you have new carpets. Don’t do it! Always wear shoes to avoid slipping and protect your toes from heavy items that might fall on them.
2 - Eat The Right Food
After all that exercise you’ll need regular fuel breaks. It’s essential to eat well to get the energy you need to work for hours on end, without feeling tired.
Eat a selection of food that is high in vitamins, minerals, and fibre then combine that with quality protein and carbohydrates for best results. The NHS website suggests that a healthy diet consists of at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day.
Choose wholegrain or higher fiber carbohydrates and low-fat oils and spreads. Consider a Mediterranean diet as well, as it offers benefits beyond the physical as well.
You can make your diet more Mediterranean so easily as well, by eating quality bread, pasta and including fish in your diet. Eating less meat and choosing products made from vegetable and plant oils, such as olive oil, is also an essential part of the habit.
Even if you usually eat well and live healthily, your body will use all its regular supply of Vitamin C and Vitamin D to produce energy.
Prolonged strenuous exercise, which includes the type of physical activity required to move, will deplete your system. You may need to supplement your diet in the short term and if you decide to do so, focus on additional Vitamin C, D and Iron for as long as it takes to get the job done.
3 - Drink Plenty of Water
Hydration is key. Athletes will tell you 1% dehydration equates to 10% drop in performance. So stay hydrated, drink plenty of water. If you don’t like plain water, then you can choose soft drinks, cordials, herbal tea and low-fat milk. You might be surprised to hear that in many cases, milk is more hydrating than ordinary water.
Drinking eight glasses of liquid every day is recommended to stop dehydration, aiding the production of energy, which in turn gives you the endurance required to move home.
4 - Get lots of Sleep
Even though moving home is exciting, it’s also stressful. To combat stress, there’s almost nothing better than a good night’s sleep, but as many people know, that can be easier said than done.
If you’re finding it difficult to get to sleep, try not to rely on medication as this can be harmful in the long term and ruin your sleep schedule. Instead, the following sleep hacks might help you to drift off...
Start by making sure your bedroom is peaceful, calm and cool in temperature.
Avoid caffeine at least 3 hours before going to bed as well as excessive alcohol. Three or more glasses of wine have been proven to lead to a restless night's sleep.
Remove all tech from the bedroom. If possible, stop doing any mentally demanding work several hours before going to bed to give your brain time to calm down.
Try a warm bath and use essential oils before jumping under the duvet covers
Go to bed at the same time each day, so that your mind and body will get used to a predictable bedtime routine.
5 - Socialize to Boost your Mental Health
Now you’re settled in your new home; it’s a good idea to get to know the neighbors. Making new friends is a great way to settle in and get to know the area around you. Your neighbors will be keen to meet you too, and you never know when you might need someone to feed the cat.
Humans are social beings, and socializing is a great way to enjoy and maintain a healthy lifestyle when moving home.
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Author bio: Alistair Knight is a writer for Vita-C, a website designed to improve the health and wellness of all. In Alistair’s spare time, he spends his time relaxing with the family, living healthily, and enjoying life.
