Hurting yourself while shoveling is snow joke! The pain can linger long beyond the winter and make it difficult to do everyday tasks.Β
Before you tackle the driveway, keep these 5 tips in mind to prevent injury!Β
How to Prevent Injury While Shoveling SnowΒ
1. Warm up first
Β We know, itβs βjust shoveling snowβ and you want to just get outside and get it done β BUT β taking a few extra minutes to do some quick warm up movements before makes a huge difference. Since youβll be doing a lot of bending over and walking around, focus on stretching your arms and legs. Even walking around a bit inside before going outside will help. Trust us, your body will thank you for this.
2. Bend from hips and knees, not back
Youβve probably heard it before, but it bears repeating: bend with your legs, not your back! Youβll get a lot more support and stability that way, and be much less likely to strain yourself. This applies even if youβre using a snowblower and need to hunch over β bend from the hips and knees, not the back!
3. Tighten your core muscles as you lift
Before you do any bending, youβll want to brace your body by activating your core muscles. Your core muscles help stabilize your joints, and activating them will help prevent extra stress on your joints as you shovel snow. Tighten those core and abdominal muscles while you lift with your legs.
Β Read Now:Β Are You Experiencing Pain This Winter?
4. Shovel in intervals throughout the day
Itβs tempting to wait until the snowβs done falling and get your shoveling done in one fell swoop β but itβs actually a lot more counter-productive. Throughout the day as snow falls, the snow closer to the ground will harden and make it a lot more difficult to move. Freshly-fallen snow is the fluffiest and easiest to move. If youβre able to β like, say if youβre working from home all day β go outside throughout the day to shovel intervals instead of waiting for the snowfall to end. Itβs going to put much less strain on your body.
5.Β Slow and steady
Shoveling isnβt fun for most people (and if it is for you, please, please feel free to come to my house this winter) and so you often want to load up as much snow as you can with each shovelful and speed up the process. Unfortunately, this is one of the worst things you can do to your body and one of the most common causes for shoveling-related injuries. Itβs much, much better to shovel smaller amounts over a longer period of time. And listen to your body β if itβs telling you it’s time to stop even if youβre not done yet, it pays to listen. Go inside and take a break, send your kids out there, or leave it for another day. Itβs not worth straining yourself beyond your breaking point.Β Β
Slow and steady is also important when navigating icy steps or an icy driveway. Using good footwear or Yak-Traks is a great way to reduce the incidence of a fall on ice which could lead to even more suffering injuries. If you are concerned with the terrain youβre shoveling, utilize smaller steps. Always anticipate icy steps when going outside, itβs better to be safe than sorry!Β
Final ThoughtsΒ Β
Shoveling snow isnβt something we can avoid here in Minnesota, but there are a few ways to help avoid pain and injury while doing so. And if youβve experienced pain in the past β or even if you do everything right but still injure yourself, it happens β aftercare is critical.Β
Partnering with a one of ourβ―Doctors of Physical Therapyβ―is going to help you avoid future pain and resolve current pain.β―β―Give us a call! We offerβ―complimentary phoneβ―andβ―in-person consultations. We aim to meet our patients wherever they are in their journey and answer all questions we can to ensure a smooth experience at PRO Therapy. We want to help you make the best decision for you!β―β―Β Β
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