Snow Shoveling Tips to Help You Through the Winter

Surviving the Deep Freeze

Snow Shoveling Tips to Help You Through the Winter

By sheila M. ClanCy Ms, Ches

While snow shoveling is not an organized sport that people train for, it can be a physical exertion that most people are not used to doing. According to the American Heart Association’s 2019 report, nearly half of American adults have cardiovascular disease. If you are one of those people, or if you have underlying medical conditions, you are overweight or you are sedentary, you may be better off paying the teenager that lives next door to shovel your sidewalk.

1Shoveling is exercise; so, like before any other exercise, you want to warm up your body. Before you bundle up to go outside, try marching in place, swinging your arms across the front of your body, rolling your shoulders and wrists and twisting your body from side to side. This will increase the temperature of your muscles and warm up your body to prepare it for activity.

2Choose a shovel that is comfortable to hold and is not too long, too short or too heavy. There are some that are made to push the snow (wider and shorter) and some that are made to pick up the snow. They now make ergonomic handles that are bent to help take some of the strain off your back. Shoveling snow can be an intense workout, similar to running a mile or two. Cold temperatures can increase your blood pressure and constrict your coronary arteries. The combination of all of this literally leads to deaths from shoveling every year. While it is important to remove snow from sidewalks and driveways for safety reasons, here are some precautions you can take to keep yourself from getting hurt:

3Push the snow whenever you can. Bend your knees and tighten up your stomach muscles to push the snow across the driveway or sidewalk.

4Don’t pick up a load that is very heavy. Instead, if there is deep snow, dig in halfway and scoop that up, then come back and get the next layer. Once you have scooped the snow up, don’t twist around and fling it behind you. With your knees bent and your back flat (not rounded or hunched) scoop up the snow but keep the shovel close to you. Take a step to the side and drop the snow off the shovel.

5Take some breaks. After you’ve been at it for 10-15 minutes take a 2-minute break. You can put the shovel down and do some twists, arm swings, or neck rolls. You can also use this time to drink some water. You want to make sure to stay hydrated the way you would during other physical activities.

6Dress in layers. This will keep the heat in to protect you from hypothermia. If you start to heat up, you can remove a layer of clothing so you are comfortable.

7If you are experiencing a big storm that will last all day, consider going outside to shovel a few times. Don’t let the amount of snow become overwhelming before you get outside to shovel. Also, try to shovel as soon as possible. If it stops snowing in the afternoon and you let it sit all night, it may ice up and be harder to remove.

8Once you have finished the shoveling and you’ve gotten settled back in the house, go through some gentle stretches to loosen the muscles you just used outside. Put your heel up on a chair, keep your leg straight and lean forward to stretch your hamstrings in the back of your leg. Lie on the floor on your stomach, push into the floor with your hands and raise your head, shoulders and chest off the floor to stretch your back. Of course, there are many other stretches you could do; remember to do them gently without bouncing and hold each one for at least 10 seconds.

It’s so beautiful and peaceful to watch a winter snowfall, but it’s a big homeowner’s responsibility to clear the snow from driveways and walkways for people’s safety. If you are not physically prepared to shovel your own snow, make arrangements ahead of time to have someone do it for you. To be able to get out of your house during a snowstorm, consider keeping a broom by your door and an ice melting product that can be sprinkled on your stairs or sidewalk before the storm starts. Enjoy the beauty of the snowfall and keep yourself safe and healthy.