Tens of thousands of people suffer injuries each year while shoveling snow. Even those who consider themselves to be pretty fit may not be prepared for the particular demands of scooping and throwing inches and inches of the white stuff around. There are some precautions you can take and some exercises you can do to stay off the injured list.
Warm Up
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons recommends warming up your muscles before you begin shoveling. Do some light exercise for about 10 minutes before picking up the shovel. Once you start, use proper form. Try to push the snow instead of lifting it. If you need to lift the snow, don't use your back.
Bend your knees, squat with your legs apart and keep your back straight. Then lift with your legs. Don't bend at the waist. Scoop many small amounts of snow instead of a few big loads. Never throw snow over your shoulder or to the side. Walk it where it needs to go and dump it.
Deltoid Raise
Don't wait until the snow starts to fall to get prepared for shoveling. There are exercises you can do throughout the year to get your body in shape for snow season. Nikki Kimbrough of Bally Total Fitness, who appeared on CBS News, recommends doing the deltoid raise to help strengthen and condition the back to be ready for shoveling.
To do this exercise, begin by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart. Using an overhand grip, grab a barbell or dumbbells. Extend your arms and let the weight hang against your upper thigh. Raise the weight straight in front of you until it's just above your shoulder level and then return to the starting position.
Lateral Pull
The lateral pull is another good snow shoveling exercise that Kimbrough says you can do at home or at the gym. For this exercise, you'll need tubing or resistance bands. Again, begin the exercise by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart.
Hold one end of the tubing or band in each hand and raise your arms over your head. Bring your elbows down slowly on each side as you squeeze your shoulder blades together. Stop when your fists are level with your shoulders. Keep your arms straight and return to the starting position.
If you're not feeling any resistance while pressing your elbows down, you can adjust the band of tube to reduce the slack.
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