Shoveling tips

I know I know; nobody wants to think about snow (except in the mountains!). But after what felt like a direct transition from summer to winter, it's only a matter of time before we get our annual dump of the white stuff here in the valley. Check out these tips for safely clearing your driveway when that day comes!

Photo by Damian McCoig on Unsplash

This first point might be more relevant to my home province of Manitoba, where colder temperatures often result in lighter snow, but whenever possible try to get the snow shovelled sooner rather than later. The longer the snow sits, the more it packs down and becomes harder to deal with. If we're in for a long duration of snow fall, it's even better to clear the snow once or twice while it's still falling instead of waiting to do it all at once. Although, with our beautiful climate, if you're able to wait a couple days it might just melt away on its own!

Ideally, you can push the snow instead of lifting it. Using a wider shovel, get your body directly behind it holding the handle near your chest, and use your legs to push forward. However, if the snow is wet and heavy pushing might not be an option. If you must lift the snow, limit the weight of each load, or use a smaller shovel. Always remember to use your whole body and not just your arms. You want to make sure your core is engaged and you’re using your legs as much as possible. Keep the shovel blade close to your body and keep your shoulders down to minimize the work of your traps (shrugging your shoulders up as you lift can often cause you to lose your upper cervical alignment). When tossing the snow, use a low toss and lunging motion, not a high toss and twisting motion. Bending and twisting under load is a common mechanism for injuring the lower back. Also, remember to balance out the work by switching lead arms every few minutes. Asymmetric muscular loading often leads to excess muscle/joint soreness or injury.

Photo by Andre Benz on Unsplash

Lastly, if you don't have one, find yourself a shovel attachment that will improve your ergonomics such as The Heft (invented by a man in BC). These attachments are fantastic at making shovelling easier on the body. And to get your money's worth, they can also be used with many garden tools as well.

Hopefully these tips are enough to keep you out of trouble when the snow finds its way to town! If you run into any winter woes, give us a call at (250) 334-2262. We’ll be ready to get you back to feeling your best and enjoying the winter season!