Here we are again, another snow filled winter in Toronto! And with the snow, comes A LOT of unnecessary back injuries as a result of shoveling snow. I’ve been doing this personal training thing for a long time now, and I cannot tell you how many clients I’ve had tweak their back in their zealous attempts to keep a clear driveway.
Shovel smart! It’s not worth risking a back injury. Today I am going to reveal my top safe shoveling secrets. For those of you who do not live in Toronto like I do, read this anyways. Why? Because with the global epidemic that is climate change you really never know when snow is coming your way. It snowed in Las Vegas last month! It snowed in the desert?!?!?!
Anyways, here it is….my top 5 shoveling tips:
1) Warm-up 5 mins. before shoveling
Shoveling is hard, physical labor. Your body needs to be prepared before it takes on the upcoming workout. So, just as very few people properly warm-up before intense exercise, so do many people fail to get their bodies ready for the rigors of shoveling snow. Let’s face it, snow, especially when it’s wet, is a real beast to move around. And if your body is tight and cold then you will dramatically increase your chances of short or long-term injury.
I have designed a great shoveling specific five-minute warm-up to get your body ready to scoop and toss. There is a special emphasis on opening up the hips and chest to save your back and shoulders, which are the two most commonly injured areas when shoveling.
Perform each exercise in the following warm-up circuit at a slow, controlled tempo for 50 seconds with a 10 second rest and transition between exercises. Do this warm-up indoors to better increase core temperature and total body blood flow:
Exercise#1- Run on the spot, and get those knees high
Exercise#2- Jumping Claps (modified jumping jacks with arms moving across chest level, palms facing)
Exercise#3- Alternating Forward Lunge, Overhead Reach, and Twist
Exercise#4- Alternating Lateral Lunge with Opposite Hand to Toe Touch
Exercise#5- Prisoner Squats (hands behind head with finger interlocked)
2) Keep a wide, split stance when shoveling
Back pain is probably the biggest complaint for shovelers. In most cases, a sore or tight back stems from restriction at the hips (see the warm-up above to take care of this). More specifically, using a parallel stance puts your lower back at a greater risk of injury due to the greater likelihood of excessive flexion of the lumbar spine that often leads to back spasms in the short run and herniated discs in the long run. However, the simple switch to shoveling with a split stance, where one leg is forward and the other leg is back, will not only help prevent this hyper flexion while bending over and moving snow, but will also actively stretch and open up those tight hips at the same time. Be sure to keep things in balance by doing an even number of shovel strokes with both legs forward by alternating every 10 reps or so.
3) Point Your Toes In Same Direction of Shoveling This is a continuation of the last tip. Even when you split your stance, you can be susceptible to injury whenever you perform a rotating back extension (e.g. a shovel toss to your rear). So, to further bolster your body, be sure to always shovel snow in the direction that your toes point to minimize excessive spinal rotation that can literally wrench your back.
4) Shovel EQUALLY to BOTH Sides This is a further continuation on the last two tips. Another big mistake people make is that they always shovel to their strong sides causing further strength and flexibility imbalances that can put your body at greater risk for injury. So, we now know you want to split your stance and shovel in the direction your toes are pointing, but you should also be sure do an equal amount of shovel tosses to your left AND right. Do 10 shovel tosses to your left with your left leg forward and then do 10 shovel tosses to your right with your right leg forward. Repeat until your driveway or sidewalk is crystal clear.
5) Buy a snow-plow machine
Seriously!!! Better yet, buy a condo!!!
;)
HAPPY WINTER EVERYONE!!!
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