Safe Shoveling Tips to Save Your Back

We’re officially in the midst of another winter season here in New Jersey. I must admit, if there’s one thing that bothers me the most about the winter (besides the biting cold and lack of sunlight), it’s the number of people who hurt themselves shoveling snow. I can’t tell you how many clients of mine have tweaked their backs in their zealous attempts to keep a clear driveway.

Today I am going to reveal my top safe shoveling secrets. You really never know when snow is coming your way, so read up and be ready for the next winter storm.

So, without further adieu, here are my top four safe shoveling tips:

1.) Perform a Proper 5-Minute Warm-up Before Shoveling

Just as very few people properly warm-up before intense exercise, so do many people fail to get their bodies ready for the rigors of shoveling snow. Let’s face it, snow, especially when it’s wet, is difficult to move around. And if your body is tight and cold, you will dramatically increase your chances of short or even long-term injury.

I have created a quick, shoveling-specific warm-up to get your body ready to face the snow. There is a special emphasis on opening up the hips and chest to save your back and shoulders, the two most commonly injured areas.

Perform each exercise in the following warm-up circuit at a slow, controlled pace for 50 seconds with a 10 second rest and transition between exercises. Do this warm-up indoors to better increase core temperature and total body blood flow.

Exercise 1- Stationary High Knee Run
Exercise 2- Jumping Claps (modified jumping jacks with arms moving across chest level, palms facing)
Exercise 3- Alternating Forward Lunge, Overhead Reach, and Twist
Exercise 4- Alternating Lateral Lunge with Opposite Hand to Toe Touch
Exercise 5- Prisoner Squats (hands behind head with finger interlocked)

2.) Split Your Stance When Shoveling

Back pain is probably the biggest complaint for shovelers. In most cases, a sore or tight back stems from restriction at the hips. More specifically, using a parallel stance puts your lower back at a greater risk of injury due to the greater likelihood of excessive flexion of the lumbar spine that often leads to back spasms in the short run and herniated discs in the long run. However, the simple switch to shoveling with a split stance, where one leg is forward and the other leg is back, will not only help prevent this hyper flexion while bending over and moving snow, but will also actively stretch and open up those tight hips at the same time. Be sure to keep things in balance by doing an even number of shovel strokes with both legs forward by alternating every 10 reps or so.

3.) Point Your Toes In Same Direction of Shoveling

This is a continuation of the last tip. Even when you split your stance, you can be susceptible to injury whenever you perform a rotating back extension (e.g. a shovel toss to your rear). So, to further bolster your body, be sure to always shovel snow in the direction that your toes point to minimize excessive spinal rotation that can wrench your back.



4.) Shovel EQUALLY to BOTH Sides

Another big mistake people make is that they always shovel to their strong sides causing further strength and flexibility imbalances that can put your body at greater risk for injury. You now know that you should spilt your stance and point your toes in the direction that you’re shoveling, but you should also do an equal number of shovel tosses to each side. Do 10 shovel tosses to your left with your left leg forward and then do 10 shovel tosses to your right with your right leg forward. Repeat until your shoveling is complete.

The tips above will go a long way in keeping your body as safe as possible during the next blizzard. Happy shoveling!


Joshua Mandel

Cranford New Jersey Personal Trainer

www.NewJerseyBootCamps.com