By Charla Gaudet

As the snow starts to fall in the valley, we get excited about skiing, snowmobiling, building snowmen and shovelling! Okay, maybe not the last activity!

However, shovelling is an inevitable part of winter. With that comes the potential for injuries. Shovelling snow repeatedly with incorrect posture, can lead to a variety of injuries, such as low back pain or an increased risk of a heart attack.

So what can we do to decrease our odds of injuring ourselves this winter? We can learn proper mechanics of using a shovel, and can physically prepare our bodies to handle the snow and ice.

Tips for Shovelling:

Do NOT jump out of bed in the morning and go straight into shovelling. Make sure you warm up, just like you would before any exercise. Get your heart rate up slightly and get your limbs and body moving. A good example would be doing 15 minutes of yoga before throwing on your winter gloves.

1. DO have a proper fitting shovel for your body. You do not want the shaft of the shovel to be too long. Otherwise the weight of the snow on the blade of the shovel will create a weight imbalance, and put increased strain on the structures of your low back.
2. DO have proper body position: Keep knees slightly bent, legs in a wide stance and hinge at your hips (NOT low back); Use your strong leg muscles, such as the quads, hamstrings and gluts.
3. Do not forget about the core muscles which help increase stability for your low back. Have a wide grip on the shaft of the shovel and keep the shovel close to your body.
4. Do NOT twist at your low back when rotating to throw snow. It is better to pivot with your hips instead. If possible, try not to throw snow that often! It is easier if you can push/plow the snow out of the way.
5. DO keep your shoulders back and keep your chin tucked in to help keep proper spinal alignment.
6. DO take breaks! If you start to feel discomfort, or short of breath, stop shovelling, sit down, take a sip of water and REST.

If we can properly shovel our driveways and avoid injury, then this allows us to have more energy to focus on the winter activities we love.

If you’re looking to prepare your body for the winter activities ahead, or want to deal with an old injury before winter truly settles in, go see a physiotherapist! We can help guide you through an individualized program to get you feeling your best.

Charla Gaudet is a Physiotherapist with PhysioFITT.

PhysioFITT provides physiotherapy services where you need it when you need it.  Helping keep you FITT for Life. For more information contact: [email protected]

Photos submitted

Article Share