It just wouldn’t be winter without a little snow, but with all that snow comes shoveling. And with snow shoveling comes risk of injury. It doesn’t matter if you have only a few inches to clear or dealing with a full-on blizzard, you still need to practice safe technique to protect your back. Here are our snow shoveling safety tips to prevent a sore back.
It’s Cold Out – Get Warmed Up
You may not think of snow shoveling as a form of exercise, but your body doesn’t differentiate. That’s why you need to treat shoveling as a physical activity just as you would exercise, and any physical activity requires a good warm-up.
Take the time to get your body warm with some back and arm stretches. March in place to get your blood pumping and muscles warm to prevent injury while shoveling.
You will also want to warm up your hamstrings, which are a large group of muscles at the back of your legs. Your hamstrings have a huge impact on your lower back and they put in a lot of work when you are shoveling.
Pick the Right Equipment
If you want to avoid a sore back or injury while shoveling, make sure you use the right equipment. Start by making sure your shovel is the right size. If the handle is too long, it can cause you to strain while lifting snow simply because it is too far from the center of your body. A shovel with a shorter handle can reduce that strain. Additionally, ergonomic shovels have a curved handle that helps prevent the need to bend forward while shoveling, further reducing strain on your low back. And always remember to lift with your legs and not your back.
Get Adjusted at Preferred Chiropractic
Our chiropractors want you to enjoy winter weather as much as possible, and that’s hard to do if you are suffering from a sore back from shoveling. To protect your back and your health, get adjusted at your local Midland, MI chiropractor. Just click here to schedule an appointment!
