Snow Shoveling

[DarthAvarous]

Shoveling snow by hand instead of using a snow blower is a great way to get some exercise. Just made a path this morning through the 18 inches we got.



Just glad I'm not in Connecticut. They have 38" in some places.

[deathmineral]

Well we just got a nice wet mess of snow here in the midwest and works been canceled for me so I might as well take a moment to comment. Just got done shoveling and feeling pretty good, energized even. So let's discuss some tips and tricks, and of course health concerns, for shoveling snow.

Probably one of the most important things, bend at the knees, not the back. This is a pretty stupid starting tip considering that I don't really follow that rule myself. lol However, if you're like me, I would suggest looking into purchasing a waist trimmer(I have the McDavid Waist Trimmer, works well I think). Waist trimmer will do a great job helping you stay warm, but more importantly it will keep your lower and mid back warm and loose so you're less likely to get injured.

Another good idea is stretching before you head out, unless you dress like an eskimo, I do, you will probably become cold and stiff, which can be bad for heavy physical activity like this.

Another tip for the back, don't twist if you can help it. It may be faster to twist around and slop snow over yourself but it's much better to simply bend at the knees, pick up a scoop and turn around and walk it over to a pile.

Considering looking into a Snow Scoop(I don't necessarily recommend that one as I haven't used it myself but it's the one I'm considering buying, it is expensive but don't pay attention to that, there are cheaper ones that are good as well), these are back savers. All you have to do is push to a spot and lift to empty, no bending of the back and it clears snow like nobody's business. Here's a good review showing it off.



Some good ways to keep warm and comfortable when shoveling, invest in some good gloves, headgear, and socks/shoes. Most importantly I would recommend good gloves, if there's one thing that always slowed me down and forced me back inside early, it was freezing fingers. So a couple months ago I got a good pair of gloves, now only the very tips of my fingers get cold at all, and not really cold even, just a mild chill. Also consider getting a ski mask, it doesn't have to be a heavy one either, there are many light ones that work well for keeping the wind off your face while keeping you from sweating up a lake, this might be a bad idea if you live across the street from a bank.

For more tips... you should probably google.

[twitchy]

That's a lot of snow in the first pic. I actually really like to shovel snow. I find it fun as weird as it may be.