This article was written in conjunction with our Albuquerque painting company partner, Best Painting Inc.

Relocating can be a time consuming activity, with sorting and packing boxes eating into pretty much all your free time. Free time in general, these days, is a rare commodity, and in the search for balance and wellbeing, many people prioritise health and fitness outside of their working hours.

It’s likely that you’ve come across tips for how to fit mini workouts into your day – whether it’s buttock clenches at your desk, or simply taking the stairs instead of the lift. With that in mind, here are our suggestions for how to make the most of your packing so you don’t have to miss out on your workout.

Stretching

Rule of thumb with exercise is to stretch well before and after you workout. And the first rule of packing is to sort out all your belongings. So why not combine the two? Raise your arms well above your head and stretch up to check for missed items on those high shelves, or on top of the wardrobe (you can fit in a sneaky calf lift here as well, giving you extra height). Don’t forget the ground level as well, bend from the waist to check out what you might have left under the bed.  You’ll feel that stretch down the backs of your legs, and loosening your back muscles – ready for that heavy lifting.

Arms

As monotonous as packing boxes might be, it’s an excellent opportunity to flex those biceps. Just make sure you are kneeling or standing straight, with your packing items within easy reach. As you lift each item, heft the weight of it; extending your arm then bringing the item towards your ear. Then simply place it in the box. Even just filling an Medium Book Carton will see you through around 50 reps on average.

Weights

Resistance training is key to a workout – especially for women, contrary to popular belief. Luckily, packing and moving gives you excellent opportunity to work those core muscles. Those boxes aren’t going to move themselves! Just remember to lift from the knees and keep your neck straight. Don’t overdo it though, somethings are still a two person job – even for gym bunnies.

Cardio & Core

Cardio should never be neglected, which is one way to console yourself as you run up those stairs for the hundredth time. To bring down the hundredth box, to load onto the van. Try and keep the pace up, even add in a few sprints to quickly retrieve those items you might have left behind. Your final checks are an excellent opportunity to work that core once more as well.

This time, as you check beneath the bed or your kitchen cupboards, try lowering yourself into plank position. Keep a straight spine while you bend your arms to bring your face down to floor level. Hold while you have a good look to satisfy yourself that there’s nothing there, before raising yourself back to plank. To increase difficulty, if there is a forgotten object, try a one handed press up, leaving your other hand free to retrieve the item.

Or if this all sounds like too much hard work, you can always call on packing and removals services to do it for you, while you put your feet up.