Snow shoveling is just a thing those living in colder climates get to do every winter. While a small few enjoy the activity, many others dread the act and worry about injury. While not all injuries can be fully prevented, there are steps you can take to lower your risk for injury while shoveling snow this winter.
- Set a timer. Yes, limiting the time you are out performing a physical activity is useful. Many injuries happen when the body gets fatigued. This is especially important for individuals who do not regularly exercise. Believe it or not snow shoveling is rather physical and can be cardiovascular taxing for the body. By controlling the amount of stress and strain based on time,
injuries due to fatigue can be limited.
- Use a smaller shovel. Sounds like that will take longer. Maybe, but taking the maximum load on the shovel over and over for 30-60 minutes or longer takes a toll on your muscles and joints. This is especially true if the snow is heavy (those to deal with snow on the regular know what I mean). Reducing the load can help lower strain on the body.
- Turn DO NOT twist your body when throwing the snow. Repeatedly twisting over and over is likely to result in an injury to the back or shoulder. This can be avoided by taking that extra step of turning your body to move the snow. It is worth those extra few moments to not injure your back.
- Dress properly and make sure your boots have good traction. Your body will heat up when shoveling. It is fine to remove layers but make sure to protect your skin. And don’t forget the boots. Boots without good traction can lead to falls. The ground is hard. The goal should be to remain on your feet and not land on the ground where injury can happen.
- Hire someone else to do the work. When all else fails…number 5 here is a way to save your body.
If you are going to have to snow shoveling to do this winter, it will be best to take care to avoid injury. Do not let snow shoveling result in an injury this winter that will stop you from otherwise enjoying the activities you love.