Don’t get the first snow dump get you down and out…simple tips to avoid injuries!

It doesn’t happen often but yes, every year we may have a “little” snow sprinkled on us. Otherwise, would we feel left out by the rest of Canada who deal with the white stuff for months?

Handy tips to hopefully avoid getting a sore back during or after shoveling:

*Buy a good working ergonomic shovel with a bend in the shaft.  With this unit you don’t have to bend down as low and this way you lift the shovel with snow up closer to your body.

*Warm up the back with doing a few back twists and side to side bends follow with a few knee bends before you get out. You may feel silly but that is better than a sore back!

*Avoid reaching and twisting too far forward or sideways.

*Be sure to bend the knees and have one leg in front of the other when shoveling. When you lift up the shovel use your legs as you do when doing a lunge. Leg muscles are very large compared to your small back muscles and there is a reason for that.  Change frequently which leg is forward so you change the load from one side of the body to the other side and even it out.

*Take mini-breaks and stretch you back backwards when you are standing up straight with your hands on the back of your pelvis, gentle push with your hands towards the front so you low back arches.

*Don’t overload the shovel. Smaller amounts are easier on your back.

*Break up clearing the snow in stages if needed to. Try 20 min at the time stretch the back out and do another activity before getting back to it again

*Change your grip (left hand up, right down and vice versa) on the shovel every few minutes. This changes the loading from just using one side all the time.

*Most important tip, stretch out your lower back after you are done before you sit down for the rest of the day. See exercise sheet below.

Hopefully these tips are helpful and get you injury free through the short but intense west coast winter.

If any lasting discomfort or questions, please visit the FusionPhysio team for a consult at 604-798-4466

Remmert Hinlopen, local physiotherapist.