When Are You Too Old To Move Furniture? Experts Weigh In

While it’s nice to be able to tackle projects around the house yourself, it’s also important to know your limits, especially as you get older. Jobs you could easily handle in the past, like climbing a ladder to change a lightbulb, can become riskier with age.

This is especially true when it comes to moving furniture. Lifting and maneuvering heavy pieces can quickly lead to injuries, accidents or worse. But it can be tough to know when you’re too old to move furniture, as it varies from person to person.

Ahead, learn about the risks of moving furniture as you age, how to do it safely if you choose to and when it’s time to call in the pros, with advice from strength coach Zac Armstrong and physical therapist Joshua Holskey. 

What Are the Risks of Moving Heavy Furniture as You Get Older?

Moving heavy furniture becomes more hazardous as you age, posing risks like back injuries, joint sprains, pulled muscles, fractures and heart attacks. 

Strains, sprains and back injuries

According to Armstrong, moving furniture poses the greatest risk of injury to the lower back and shoulders. Improper lifting techniques or attempting to move furniture that is too heavy to control can lead to slipped disks, pinched nerves, pulled muscles or injuries caused by twisting. “Most injuries happen mid-carry, when you twist to avoid dropping something and hurt your back or rotator cuff,” he says.

Falls and fractures

Lower bone density, loss of muscle mass and poor balance are an unfortunate and all too common part of aging that make moving furniture especially hazardous. A trip and fall can easily lead to broken bones under these circumstances and moving heavy furniture only amplifies these risks. 

Cardiovascular risks

Moving furniture is strenuous work that increases your heart rate and blood pressure. For older adults with cardiovascular disease, this can lead to serious medical events, including a heart attack. Know the signs of a heart attack, and work slowly to avoid overexertion. When in doubt, call a professional mover. 

How to Move Heavy Furniture Safely as You Age

Before attempting to move heavy furniture, follow these tips to do it safely. 

• Warm up: Treat furniture moving like a workout and warm up first to reduce injury. Do some light stretching and movement to warm up muscles. 
• Get a helper: “First and foremost, make sure you have help,” Holskey says. “People usually get hurt by trying to lift more than what their body is currently trained to handle.” 
• Utilize moving equipment: Rely on furniture slides, lifting straps, furniture dollies, hand trucks and work gloves for an easier move.   
• Make a plan: “Move trip hazards and unexpected obstacles out of the way and discuss with your lifting partner how you plan to manage corners, stairs and any changes in height you may have to make,” Holskey says.
• Lift in stages: Instead of picking an object up in one move, try doing it in stages from the floor to a chair, then up to full carrying height, Armstrong says.  
• Avoid twisting: Twisting while carrying a heavy load can lead to serious back injury. Instead, pivot your entire body as a single unit when turning. 
• Push instead of pull: Pushing furniture relies on leg strength and is much safer than using back muscles.
• Lift with your legs: “I’m sure this is something people commonly hear, but also very true,” Holskey says. “Bending some at your ankles, knees, hips and waist is important to keep the force closer to your spine and center of gravity.” 

How Do You Know When You’re Too Old to Move Furniture?

While there is no specific age, you’re too old to move furniture when the risk of injury is greater than the likelihood of success. “Is there an age to stop? No,” Armstrong says. “But there is a strength-and-control test: If you cannot pick the item up smoothly and carry it under full control, it is too heavy for you today — at 45 or at 75.” 

If you feel uncertain about your ability to move furniture, err on the side of caution and ask for help or call in a professional. Many moving companies offer in-home furniture moving services. 

About the Experts

• Zac Armstrong is a retired U.S. Marines naval commander, strength coach and founder of Executive Health Edge in Coronado, California.
• Joshua Holskey is a physical therapist and doctor of physical therapy at ATI Physical Therapy.  

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