Safeguarding Your Physical Health During the Emotional Journey of Relocating

Plenty has been written about how moving can take its toll on us emotionally and mentally. In fact, a survey reported by the NY Post found that around 50 percent of Americans say it is more stressful than having children or going through a divorce. But it is important to realize it can also affect our physical health. After all, the last thing any of us want is to get sick in the middle of a move.

Physical fatigue can certainly come into play when we are spending hours preparing for the move, and that can easily be exacerbated if you are having trouble sleeping. Furthermore, a study led by Suzanne Segerstrom from the University of Kentucky identified that elevated stress levels have a negative impact on the immune system, increasing your susceptibility to physical illness.

On top of these risks, we cannot ignore the mistakes that people often make when lifting heavy items, especially when they are not accustomed to doing so. The potential consequences include back injury, muscle damage, sprains, abrasions and contusions. It is also easy to become caught up in the work of packing and to forget to stay hydrated.

If you are planning a move, looking after your physical health is as important as taking care of your mental wellbeing. We have gathered advice from a cross section of experts on how you can do just that.

What are your top tips for avoiding back strain while moving?

Planning is key. Prepare yourselves as well as your house for the move. Load boxes evenly and not too heavy. Mark boxes that are heavy. Keep yourself healthy and do not ignore any physical ‘niggles’ in the run up to the move. Lift with the back straight and knees bent to take the load. Avoid twisting by keeping the load in front and close to you or, if in bags, evenly in both hands at your sides. Take regular and frequent breaks. Amanda Goring, Chiropractor at Sundial Clinic

How can people improve their sleep in the run up to a move?

Sleeping better is all about reducing or eliminating stress. Allow plenty of time to prepare for your move and start the process as early as you can - for example, decluttering or registering with your new local GP beforehand can be a massive help. While the move itself might only take a day, give yourself time to prepare before the move and then time to adjust to the change following it. Don’t try to do it all on your own. Get help wherever you can, whether it’s helping move boxes or cooking a meal. Pack all the essentials into one box. This ensures you can locate them as soon as possible once you are in your new home. Sarah Jubb, Content Specialist at Happy Beds.

Can you share any tips on how to use chiropractic care to alleviate common physical strains associated with moving, such as back pain or muscle tension?

"Moving can be both physically and mentally taxing, involving repetitive bending, lifting, and twisting that lead to issues such as back pain, muscle tension, joint pain, and fatigue. Chiropractic care offers a holistic approach to alleviating these strains. Techniques like spinal adjustments and massage therapy help to realign the spine, relieve muscle tension, and improve joint function. This not only reduces pain but also enhances mobility and overall physical performance, making the demands of moving more manageable.

Moreover, chiropractic care addresses the mental stress associated with moving. The process often involves significant emotional and logistical challenges, from leaving a familiar environment to coordinating complex schedules. Chiropractic treatments promote relaxation and well-being by stimulating the release of endorphins, the body's natural painkillers and mood enhancers. Regular visits to a chiropractor before, during, and after a move can maintain spinal health, prevent injuries, and ensure a smoother, less stressful moving experience." Dr. Larry Peshkin, IronChiro.com, Hudson Avenue. Rochester, NY

How do you stay mentally balanced and avoid physical burnout during international relocation?

When you relocate internationally your body and mental state undergo a big shift, so it's crucial to take good care of your body and mind during this process. I try to eat healthy, stay hydrated, and do light exercise. If I have the space, I do yoga and if not, I'll go for a 30-minute - 1-hour walk. I try to avoid junk food and alcohol because I know this will harm digestion and sleep patterns. Josephine Remo of https://josephineremo.com/

How important is it to maintain a physical routine during relocation, and can you suggest some simple martial arts exercises for movers?

As an 86-year-old who has explored numerous exercise methods, I have discovered a foolproof formula to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle, regardless of the circumstances. Follow these guidelines to enhance your well-being:

1. Establish a dedicated time slot for your daily exercises. I personally recommend early mornings as an invigorating way to awaken your body and mind.
2. Choose exercises that allow your body to move naturally and effortlessly, without straining. Opt for movements that you can perform comfortably, ensuring a stress-free experience.
3. Focus on exercises that engage your entire body and ensure that you feel no pain while performing them. Pain is your body's way of signaling that you need to make adjustments in either your technique, intensity, or even consider switching to an alternative exercise that achieves the same goal without causing discomfort.
4. Organize your workout routine to be completed within 15-20 minutes, and ensure that you have enough space to move around, regardless of your location—be it at home, a hotel, or even outdoors.
5. Dedicate yourself to doing your workout EVERY day, without making excuses. Consistency is key in reaping the benefits of regular exercise.
6. If you have access to a computer, I encourage you to explore my early morning Zoom workout sessions, specifically designed to be done in the comfort of your own home. Join me for the 'Audit' course at www.athomekarate.com. This program will not only make exercising enjoyable but also equip you with the strength and resilience to face whatever challenges life may throw your way.

George E. Mattson, highly experienced 10th-degree black belt in Uechi-ryu Karate.

How can yoga help you keep going and stay injury-free during the rigors of a house move?

As someone who has moved many, many times, I can testify that these poses work and work well but you've got to modify to support your level of experience and flexibility! Yoga movements that strengthen and stretch major muscles can help support not only with injury prevention during a big home move, but also muscle recovery and stress management and relief! You always want to be mindful of current injuries or physical limitations and not push, but these yoga poses when practiced mindfully can be helpful to prepare for the move. Moves like plank poses with knees on the floor - or off the floor, depending on experience with exercise, will help to build shoulder, back and core strength or even downward facing dog pose which builds strength in the shoulders and back and stretches out the back of the legs and bottoms of the feet. For muscle recovery, laying down on the floor and doing some gentle knee down twists slowly can be helpful to stretch out the back or laying on the back and hugging one knee at a time in towards the abdomen or to the outer ribs if that's more comfortable. My favorite after move recovery pose is called Astronaut pose, you lay on the floor with your legs over a chair seat, or couch cushion, ottoman or some other prop or even some pillows to elevate the legs and allow the back to rest and the body to go into a parasympathetic state, aka " rest and digest". Astronaut pose is perfect for releasing the back, easing stress, breathing freely and it's also great to add to your before move prep if you feel stressed out or anxious! Aline Marie, owner of The Newtown Yoga and Wellness Center

How can integrative healing help you to stay fit during a house move?

An integrative approach to fitness during a move accounts for mental, emotional, physical and spiritual wellbeing. We know that, even if the move is welcome and wanted, the emotional stress of relocation affects our physiology and mental wellbeing. By tending to our ourselves as a holistic being in an integrative way that combines modalities and nurtures our various needs, we can greatly minimize negative impact from a move and support ourselves in a way that makes the experience much more fruitful and enjoyable. For example, taking certain herbs and supplements can help our bodies perform better physically, as well as maintain a healthy microbiome in the gut. This can greatly offset the impact of emotional stress and keep our minds clear and focused. Practices such as breath work, meditation, and yoga contribute to physical fitness as well as keep the mind calm and emotions steady. Getting acupuncture treatment harmonizes energy in the body and supports a healthy stress response. Counseling and coaching sessions provide the opportunity to process any difficult emotions, spiritual significance or relocation-associated trauma. Using integrative practices to stay mindful and present during relocation prevents missteps, injuries and minimizes emotional stress to make for a successful and even pleasurable transition! Dr. Karina Menali, L.Ac., DOM, DACM, Dipl. OM, E-RYT500, CIAYT, Doctor, Healer and Teacher at Kai Wellness - Integrative Medicine & Healing

What advice can you offer to anyone struggling to find time for self care during a house move?

There are so many details to think about and changes happening during a house move that it can feel overwhelming and chaotic. Chances are that you're going to get off track with your normal self care routines. This is a perfect opportunity to practice going with the flow and look for small moments where you can take care of YOU. A little can go a long way when we're busy with all the newness of moving. Try things like a 10 minute walk outside in the fresh air, a few minutes of stretching in a quiet room, sitting with a cup of tea and meditating even for just five minutes, or a moment with your favorite novel before bed. Find small ways to nourish yourself and then you can give yourself the long bubble bath or more luxurious treat once you are all settled in. Enjoy the journey, keeping a flexible mind is the best self care there is! - Aura Garver of Aurafitness, Taos, NM

How can a wellness retreat prior to a relocation help you to prepare and stay fit?

A retreat experience prior to a relocation can prepare a person that is going to embark on a path such as a new job, new home or new community. The experience of a retreat helps one to navigate your feelings and emotions of the unknown by keeping you aligned, focused and connected to your body/mind/soul. The unknown sometimes can bring up a mindset that brings up doubts about one's new journey or path. A retreat with like minded people, exercise, good nutrition, nature and conversation can reflect back the connection to self and reinforce that change is personal growth in action. Nancy Volante, MFA Interdisciplinary Arts Imagine Yoga

What tips can you offer to minimize the risk of harm to pet cats during a relocation?

We strongly encourage you to keep your cats confined in a bathroom when it's time to load the moving truck! They will be confused by all the activity and can become anxious, nervous and disoriented, causing them to run out of an open door and into the street or hiding for days. We also suggest the plastic wrap and bubble wrap to be put up out of the way when not in use. These and other little remnants of debris that are always left behind when cleaning out a house can each be fatal if swallowed. If your cat seems lethargic, won't eat, has not had a bowel movement, and is vomiting, a vet visit is needed. Set eyes on your cats before taping up a box or loading an appliance. Cats can hide in washers, dryers and boxes. If they get comfortable in your box of grandma's quilts, they aren't going to make a peep while you tape up the container. It could be hours before they wake up and by then, oxygen could be too low for them to cry loud enough for you to hear them. If traveling a long distance, we suggest not feeding them after 8pm the night before departure. That will mean their litter box use that happens that night or the following morning will be the last one for several hours. So load up the car early and get in a good 8-12 hr drive at a time. There are several hotels that allow pets to stay, so have a disposable litter box or two on hand. Additionally, take several towels with you. Lay one on the bottom of the carrier to begin with, and just in case there is an accident, they are not sitting in it for the rest of the trip. It will also help calm them because it will be a familiar small. We recommend hard carriers for travel and if you're able to seatbelt in the carrier, that's even better! Extra anxious kitties can be given diphenhydramine (Benadryl), dosing as recommended by a vet, to help ease the anxiety from travel. Feliway spray on the towel you put in the carrier can also help. Finally, when you get to your new location, put the cats in a locked bathroom with their litter box, food, water, and toys and beds with the familiar smell of "home" to keep them safe while the unpacking begins. Tina Cooley, owner and founder of Cattyshack, Inc

How are mental and physical health interconnected during a significant life event like a house move?

Moving creates a lot of stress. It’s not just the physical work that goes into moving – the packing and unpacking and the lifting. There’s also the mental stress that goes into moving - saying goodbye to friends and neighbors, children changing schools, worrying how the new home and location will work out. We know what to do when our body is sore, but what do we do when we are struggling with our mental health? Taking time to focus on your mental health can reduce the stress and anxiety that comes with moving. There are things you can do to help. Think about what you are eating. Junk food and fast food may be convenient during moving, but it may not help your mood. Have a cooler with water, vegetables, and fruits that is easily accessible. Take a few minutes to breathe deeply or do a short meditation. There are apps like Calm and Headspace that guide you through this and they only take a minute or two. When you feel the stress rising, just take a moment to breathe in slowly through your nose for four seconds, and making a whooshing sound, breathe out slowly through your mouth. Do this a couple of times. Moving requires a lot of work – make a list. Trying to remember all the things you need to do actually creates more stress. Write things down – and cross them out. Remind yourself that everything on the list doesn’t need to be done in one day. NAMI Minnesota has resources available for people struggling with their mental health. Sue Abderholden, Executive Director of NAMI Minnesota

What vitamins or supplements do you recommend to stay healthy during the effort and stress of a house move?

When going through stress from something such as a house move, I try to optimize my vitamin D levels and make sure to take an adequate amount of magnesium. I will also take a grass-fed beef liver supplement upon waking with something to detox my body like chlorella, spirulina or moringa. To combat stress and increase longevity I take a high quality NMN supplement daily. Cody Hammer, Travel writer at Exploratory Glory

What advice can you offer for people who are moving at short notice?

When it comes to moving it's extremely important to look after your physical and mental health. The first piece of advice when moving on short notice is to breathe. For most people when they are under stress they stop breathing fully through their diaphragm and have much shallower breaths. As a result of this, their energy levels drop, they feel more stressed, and the world can sometimes feel like it's against them. Much of this can be alleviated through making this physiological shift in breathing. The second piece of advice for someone when moving on short notice is to ensure that there is still self-care time. For many people it's common to put themselves as a last priority in times of high stress but by doing so, one ultimately reduces one's productivity and output. By making self-care an even higher priority in times of high stress like moving on short notice, one will be able to remain calm and coast through this intense experience. Sebastian Jania, owner and founder at Ontario Property Buyers

Where should anyone moving to Chicago start if they want help staying fit?

If you're moving to Chicago and want to stay fit, you will find that CHI-SOCIETY is a useful resource. We bring together the best of the city's health, wellness, and fitness communities, making navigating and connecting with top local experts, classes, and programs easy. Whether you're looking to find a fitness studio, join fitness events, or find personalized training, CHI-SOCIETY is your go-to guide for living your healthiest life in the Windy City. Erin Schirack, founder of CHI-SOCIETY

Eating healthily while moving is not always easy. Can you offer some tips?

Eating healthy can be difficult if you don't already have healthy plans in place. Grabbing a pizza or fast food while moving from A to B is what an alarming number of Americans do every day. However, it doesn't HAVE to be this way. One of my favorite quick but healthy snacks is a smoothie, but there are also protein bars that work in a pinch. My favorite is Perfect Bar in either Peanut Butter or the Dark Chocolate Chip flavor. Perfect Bars have 20 superfoods in them and 10+ grams of protein per bar. I ALWAYS have one with me, everyday! Smoothies can pack a punch in terms of protein if you know what to include. My go to recipe is a large handful of spinach, 1 scoop Ancient Nutrition Collagen, 1 scoop Vanilla Whey Protein, 1 TBSP Peanut Butter, handful of blueberries, and 1/2 C unsweetened Vanilla Almond milk. TONS of protein, not a lot of sugar and it keeps me full all day! Also, drink tons of water. Aim for half of your body weight (If you weigh 100 lbs drink 50 oz of water) Kristy Edwards, Organizational Specialist and founder of Neatly Balanced