Here are some great tips to protect your back and heart when shoveling. What seems like a simple activity can actually put an excessive amount of strain on you if done incorrectly.
1. If you are inactive and have a history of heart trouble, talk to you doctor before shoveling your snow.
2. Avoid caffeine or nicotine before beginning. These are stimulants and they may increase your heart rate and cause your blood vessels to restrict. This places extra stress on the heart.
3. Drink plenty of water. Dehydration is just as much of a concern in the cold winter months as it is in the summer.
4. Dress in several layers so you can remove a layer if necessary.
5. Warm up muscles by walking for a few minutes or march in place. Once muscles are warmed up, gently stretch arms and legs to loosen muscles and decrease your risk of injury.
6. Pick the right shovel for you. A smaller blade requires less lifting.
7. Lift with your legs not your back. Bend your knees and keep your back as straight as possible so that the lifting comes from your leg muscles, not your back. Never bend at the waist. Step in the direction that you are throwing snow. This will help prevent the lower back from twisting and will help alleviate any back soreness that you might typically experience the day after a hard shoveling job.
8. Create some distance between the hands. This will give you more leverage and make it easier to lift the snow.
9. Push snow to the side, rather than lifting it each time.
10. Listen to your body and stop if you are in pain.
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