Shoveling is exercise, and you should warm up for it just as you should before exercising.
“Warming up in some way, shape or form,” even just doing some jumping jacks or going up and down some stairs will help prevent straining yourself, Hunter says.
When shoveling, “push the snow rather than trying to lift it,” Hunter says. If you have to lift, bend your knees and lift with your legs, not your back.
It’s twisting, throwing the snow and using your back rather than your legs that are really going to do damage. “So tighten your abdominal muscles before you lift. If you do that, it’s really hard to twist, and you really protect your vertebrae.”
Hunter adds that ergonomic shovels make a big difference. They are much lighter and have contoured handles, reducing the bending you have to do.
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Take breaks and hydrate
“It’s amazing how quickly you overheat and become dehydrated,” Hunter says.
When it comes to navigating icy conditions, Hunter says concussions are probably the most common injury she’s seen.
Black ice is especially tricky. “You’ve got to keep flat feet, take small steps, and ... keep your feet wide apart, so you have a big base of support,” she says.
“And footwear is huge in terms of having some sort of grip. Any type of movement on ice is going to predispose people to injury.”
