Treadmills, exercise bikes, bench press rack, weight machines and hand weights: your home gym might just contain the most awkward pieces of furniture in your house. Some pieces are smaller than your home phone, and others can be larger and heavier than your couch! So how do you even begin moving a home gym? Our guys have been perfecting the art of moving fitness equipment in Richmond since 1999, and they have some easy home gym moving tips to teach you how to move gym equipment safely, making your next move safer and easier.
And if you’re not sure how to acquire some of the specialized equipment that we’ll mention below, a quick search for “fitness equipment movers near me” will land you with the local professionals with the expertise to help you move a treadmill, exercise racks, weights, stationary bikes and more. Most moving companies will not be qualified to take these items apart unless it is just a matter of a couple of screws. Ask the representative estimating your move if you are unsure what services can, or cannot, be performed by your movers.
How to Move a Treadmill and Other Large Items
To start things off, you’ll probably want to begin with moving home gym equipment that might be the heaviest or bulkiest. This can include treadmills, weight racks and stationary bikes. When moving fitness equipment as large as this, you’ll want to disassemble it the same way you might with furniture. With treadmills, the tread will detach from the tower, and the handles should come off as well. Stay organized by putting all the small hardware that comes off, the nuts, bolts and fasteners, into plastic baggies and label them with the part of the machine that they came from. This will make it much easier to reassemble it when you’re finished moving a treadmill out.
How to Move Gym Equipment: Stationary Bike
Most stationary bikes can be moved as-is. Older stationary bikes have wheels that will come off the bike, and they will detach from their platforms. Some will have bars that help stabilize the bike on the floor. Unbolt these from the bike to make it easier to pack and move. Stationary bikes without wheels have more moving parts that will not disassemble as easily, but still look for stabilizing bars that you can remove as well as pedals, handlebars, the seat and any other removable elements before you pack up the bike.
How to Move Gym Equipment: Weight Racks
Weight racks can also be disassembled like most large furniture, so look for all the bolts and connection points on the side of the rack. And remember: this might be obvious, but do NOT try moving home gym equipment with the hand weights still on them. They are lighter, and much less dangerous, when they are packed away and moved separately.
How to Move Home Gym Equipment, Hand Weights and Smaller Items
Since exercise weights tend to weigh… Well, a lot, you will want to move them separately. We’ve broken this moving tips list down into the common smaller fitness equipment that you would need to move, from free weights to exercise balls:
- Inflatable Exercise Balls: They are wonderful for a great ab workout and add some spice to your workout routine! Make sure to deflate them before moving, or you will be in for a lot more work than you bargained for
- Medicine Balls: Often these can be deflated slightly to pack away in a smaller space, but they will still be as heavy as normal. Pack these away in boxes and use a dolly to move the boxes to save yourself, or whoever is moving the medicine balls, from potential injury.
- Yoga and Floor Exercise Mats: These are light, but not very packable. You can roll up multiple mats and tie them into a bundle so that you can carry them all at once.
- Free Weights (Including Dumbbells, Running Weights and Kettlebells): These should be moved individually or in boxes with a dolly.
- Exercise Sandbags: Make sure to empty the bags of their sand before moving! This will make them far lighter and more packable, and it will save you a lot of money, especially if you are moving them over a long distance.
- Weighted Bars, Weight Collars: You can store the weight collars on the weight bars to keep them from getting lost during the move. These bars can be difficult to pack, and they cannot often be disassembled. If you are using a truck, wrap the bars in moving blankets and lay them on their side to prevent them from falling and damaging other items during your move.
- Olympic Weight Plates: Box these up and put them on a dolly to move them. Weights add up quickly, so make sure you work safely.
- Weighted Floor Pads: These can be boxed up, but they can be too bulky for most boxes. We recommend moving them with a dolly.
- Weighted Vests: If you have more then one, stack them in a box and use a dolly to help you move these from your home gym to their new place.
Tools for Moving Exercise Equipment Safely From Your Home Gym
Moving heavy items requires special equipment. If you are performing your own move, rent a dolly to help move heavy boxes. This will reduce the risk of injury. If you need to move the boxes up flights of stairs, make sure to rent a stair dolly. This has a step assist system that you can engage to help you float up the stairs as if it was flat pavement! You will also want to consider renting or buying moving blankets. These are inexpensive, and they make a huge difference when it comes to protecting stair rails and furniture in your home from getting bumped and scratched. Additionally, moving blankets help protect sensitive surfaces on wooden furniture from getting damaged during transit.
Richmond Home Gym Movers
Lastly, if you have a large home gym, movers might be your best option. Considering how moving a home gym requires lifting multiple heavy items, hiring help for your move might be the way to go. Not all local movers in Richmond might be able to handle this kind of a job. Make sure to always inquire whether the company had done a job like moving exercise equipment before anything else. After that ask about local daily rates. Any moving company should be able to provide a quote based off your description. If you live in the Richmond area you can contact us for more advice or a free moving quote. Get in touch with professionals that know how to assist with moving home gym equipment in or out of the Richmond area.