Moving gym equipment can be challenging and it is hard to know how exactly to move your home gym gear. The bulky, heavy, and complicated construction of gym equipment make it one of the least popular items to pack and move. Most moving companies can assist you in disassembling large exercise equipment for a move (don’t forget to ask them to re-assemble everything in your new home). However, if you’re going to move yourself, planning ahead and learning the best way to move gym equipment can set you up for success and minimize headaches.
Before you start to move exercise equipment around, do some research to see if any of your equipment has special instructions from the maker on how to move it. This is particularly true for ellipticals, treadmills, and weightlifting machines. If you do not have the instruction manual handy, you can search for instructions on the internet. Look up the equipment moving instructions for your specific model number; different generations of exercise equipment can vary significantly.
Once you have the instructions for moving your home gym equipment safely, you can start planning for where the equipment will go in your new home. Take note of the space needed for the equipment and identify how far each piece moves when you walk or run on it. Once you know how far each piece goes, get the measurements of all the pieces together. This will help you identify how to layout the equipment in your new home. To simplify this process even further, mark the location of each item off with tape, so there is no question of where each item goes on moving day.
Before the moving day, disassemble and prep each exercise equipment item for moving based on the instructions by the manufacturer. One of the best tools to use to prep awkward items for a move is to cover the item in a moving blanket and wrap it entirely in shrink wrap. The shrink wrap will keep all the pieces together and protect the equipment while transporting it to your new home. It is much easier and safer to move bulky items like exercise equipment when all elements of the piece are held snuggly together with shrink wrap. This is especially true if you use a furniture dolly to move your workout equipment (and most likely, you will!). This helps minimize the extra effort these awkwardly shaped items tend to create and helps secure any moving parts.
Moreover, if you plan to put items into a storage unit, wrapping them with a moving blanket and shrink wrap help ensure they stay clean and amazing until you are ready to move them into your home. Wrapping items will also help protect the floors and walls of your new home! Protect your home further by covering high traffic areas with paper moving pads, which help prevent scratches on your walls or floors.
When moving small, but heavy, exercise equipment items, such as hand weights, it is important to separate items into multiple cardboard boxes to spread out the weigh. Do not put all your weights into a single box; they are not designed to carry that much weight. Standard moving boxes should be able to manage a set of weights up to 40 pounds.
If you need to move a lot of free weights, consider using a double-walled heavy duty box, which can hold significantly more weight. Try packing items like yoga mats or towels in with your weights to help hold them in place and minimize jostling during the move. Add packing materials such as industrial packing paper to further aid this effort.
Moving exercise equipment can be challenging, but these tips will make your move much easier and significantly less stressful. If you need help purchasing the right boxes and moving supplies for your exercise gear, give an Amazing Spaces Storage Centers moving consultant a call and they will put together a custom package for your unique needs!