Shoveling 101 : A Pile of Snow [Shoveling Tips]

Everyone was starting to mutter about the tragedy of having a green Christmas...well...rest assured - I don't think you need to worry about that anymore.  B with a side of rrrr!!!!

Mother Nature, made up for our very mild (and lovely) fall with a huge snow burp last week here in Toronto.  And while the snow may have melted for now - I am betting on a White Christmas.

So, snow means shoveling.  You know what goes along with lots of shoveling, right ?  The potential for lots-o-back-pain.

Here are a pile (heh heh...couldn't resist!) of Dr. Stephanie's snow shoveling tips :

1. Get a proper shovel!






There are a ton of ergonomic shovels out there.  Go in your garage, and throw out the 30 year old shovel you inherited from the previous owners of your house.

Ideally you want to look for a shovel with:

• An Ergonomic handle (with a bend in the handle), 
• A Small blade.  (Smaller blade means less snow on the blade, and less stress on your back and body.)

Some good bets in the downtown area:

Canadian Tire
Home Depot
Home Hardware


2. Warm Up (yes like you do @ the gym)

Believe it or not, shoveling is pretty intense physical activity, and if you are not used to it - you can seriously hurt yourself.  There is a sharp rise in the incidents of heart attacks following heavy snowfalls.  A brisk warm-up (we are talking a small commitment of no more than 5-10 minutes) beforehand, followed by some stretches is perf.

What kinds of exercises and stretches you ask?  

Any kind of light cardiovascular warm up, whether it is light skipping, jogging on the spot, or a few squats and lunges will help get your muscles warm, get the blood flowing to the legs and back, and the arteries dilated and ready for work.

Stretching before (and afterwards) is super important as well to protect your muscles from damage and to properly cool your body down.

Chest stretch




Arm, Shoulder & Back Stretch:






Forearm & Wrist:




Middle Back Stretch:




(Photos courtesy of www.buildingbodies.ca)

3. Shovel asap after a snow fall.

The longer the snow sits, the heavier and more packed it becomes.

4. Pace yourself.

It is not a race.  Slow down, and listen to your body.  It is grueling work to shovel a driveway and even if you practically live in the gym - it is extremely strenuous on your heart, back muscles, your arms, and shoulders.

5. Never (ever, ever, ever) lift with your back

This is where we run into problems.  I often get many new patients, or long time patients who come in after a snowfall with acute back spasms, neck spasms, sore this, that and the other.

It's all in the technique!

If you can, push the snow off to the side of the driveway (meaning you don't even lift the snow off the ground).  If you *must* lift the snow, bend your knees (keeping your back upright), and use your abs and power from your legs to lift...not your back.

And while we are at it - no twisting when you are throwing the snow off to the side.  Your body should be facing where the snow is going.

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Be Healthy

Dr. S
xo