Proper Posture Can Help Your Back While Shoveling Snow

As fall ends, our days become shorter, the temperature decreases and, occasionally, we are gifted with snow. Being prepared for snow – and snow removal – will save you from injuries during the winter months. Do a proper warm up: before you shovel at any point in the day, move through a quick dynamic warm-up to "wake up" all the right muscles. A great warm-up people can do is knee grabs—standing and pulling each knee to your chest alternating—for 12 to 15 reps on each side and large arm circles forward and back for a few reps Fire up the right muscles: Just before you lift a shovel full of snow, think about two main things: keeping your knees slightly bent at all times, which takes some of the tension off of the low back, and hinging at the hips. Draw in the navel slightly, keep your back straight and abdominals engaged, and shift your hips back slightly, which will help turn on the glutes and hamstrings, where most of the power should come from. Hold the shovel correctly: Keep a wide grip on the shovel handle—with one hand near the top of the handle and the other close to the actual shovel full of snow—so that you have better control of the heavy load. Also, keep the shovel as close to your body as possible as you carry it.