Snow Day: Safe Shoveling Tips
If you've shoveled snow before, you know it's a workout! You might have also learned first-hand that shoveling snow can be even harder on your body than a tough gym session. To stay healthy and safe if you're out clearing snow today, check out the tips below and remember to stretch!
1. Prepare
Get ready to go out and push some snow like you'd get ready to hit the gym and push some weight. Make sure you've eaten something and you're hydrated -- this is a workout, after all -- and dress appropriately. Layer up so your muscles will be warm, and don't forget a hat and gloves!
2. Warm Up
Speaking of getting your body warm...
Studies have shown similar levels of exertion during shoveling snow and running on a treadmill. If you wouldn't hop on a treadmill and immediately crank it up to a sprint, don't jump right into shoveling either!
Take a few minutes to mobilize your shoulders, spine, hips, and legs. Try shoulder rolls and arm circles, torso rotations, frog stretches, and squats. Getting your heart rate up before you grab the shovel is also important to prevent sudden spikes that can lead to cardiac issues.
3. Use Proper Technique
LIFT WITH YOUR LEGS. Please, whatever you do, do not put your back into it.
Keep your feet in a wider stance for better balance, especially on slick surfaces.
Bend your knees to sink down instead of bending from the waist, which is a recipe for back pain!
Check your posture. Spine should be in neutral, rather than bent forward, and core should be engaged.
Scoop snow from the top or push it, especially if it's deep. Remember, the goal isn't to heap as much snow on your shovel at once as you can; it's to prevent post-shoveling aches and pains.
Keep the shovel close to your body to reduce unneeded strain on your spine.
To move the snow, turn your feet and your hips (knees are still bent!) so your entire body is pointed the direction you're about to toss the snow. Twisting at the waist and throwing it over your shoulder is just asking for a pulled lower back muscle or injured knee. Channel Ross Gellar and PIVOT!
4. Be Smart
Start slow to get your body acclimated to the temperature and the movement. If it's safe to do so, get out before the snow stops. Freshly fallen snow is less tightly packed, which will make it lighter and easier to move. You'll also have less of it to move at once than if you wait until the end of the snowstorm. Remember, shoveling is often intense physical exertion! Stay hydrated and take breaks as often as needed.
5. Stretch It Out
I know you would never leave an exercise class or finish a workout without a proper stretch, right? 😉
Wrap up your shoveling sessions with a few stretches that will help alleviate tightness or soreness that can occur anytime you're doing a movement that's out of the ordinary.
Low Back: Cat/Cow, Child's Pose, Supine Twist
Hamstrings: Down Dog, Seated, Standing or Supine Hamstring Stretch
Shoulders: Shoulder Stretch pulling one arm across body, Child's Pose with a Twist
Upper Back: Overhead Stretch, Overhead Stretch with Side Bend, Open Chest Stretch, Neck Rolls
6. Train for It
The time to prepare for shoveling snow isn't when the first snowflake hits the ground, and it's certainly not when your low back is already aching after clearing the driveway. The best time is actually weeks or even months before you ever think about pulling out your winter coat.
The movements required to shovel safely -- squatting, hingeing, rotating, engaging the core -- are all common, every day movement patterns that many of us don't perform well because we don't do them enough, and we don't practice doing them the right way. Add in cold temperatures and heavy snow and it's no wonder that snow can literally be a pain for so many people!
The best way to stay safe when shoveling is to train those basic movement patterns well, all year long!
