In honor of the blizzard Saskatchewan just had, I thought I’d whip up a little something about the shoveling we’re all going to have to do.

I live in a condo with my mom so our “yard” area is small at best… Well that small area took me about 20 minutes to shovel!  The snow build up was approaching the halfway mark on our front door. We were quite literally snowed in!

 I had just finished my workout for the day when I decided to tackle the snow pile. By the time I was done clearing a path out to the world, the shoveling had been a more intense work out than the weights I had done.

Safety First

I don’t think I’m nutty about working out but it makes me feel good, and I know it’s good for me. I’ve always done something active at any given time (ballet, gymnastics, b-ball, rowing). I hope to for as long as I’m kickin’ around. To make that happen I know I have to do things properly because it’s so easy to hurt yourself if you’re not conscious of what you’re doing.

Every year shoveling always used to sneak up and wreck my back for a couple weeks when we’d get a good snow. After a few years in a row of that I learned my lesson.  So here are my Snow Relocation Tips! (thanks to truestarhealth.com for their thorough information that I referenced to create my list of tips.)

Snow Relocation Tips

Stretch It Out

It might sound lame but Warm Up before you head outside. Take a few minutes to stretch out your whole body, especially your back, legs and shoulders.  And when you’re done stretch out one more time to help avoid that gross stiff feeling. Plus, stretching when your muscles are warm is the best time to increase flexibility.

It Really Works

You always hear people say Lift With Your Legs! Do it, lifting with your legs will save your back! You’ll prevent injury if you bend your knees when you’re lifting a full shovel, and avoid twisting with a full load. My arms are way weaker than my legs, so I try to leverage the weight on the leg I have forward by resting my lowest arm on it.

Don’t Be a Hero

I often have to remind myself shoveling is not a strong man completion. Don’t Overload  yourself. Don’t try to lift beyond your ability. That said just cuz you can doesn’t mean you should either. Take your time, so you don’t accidently put yourself out of commission.

Resistance

Then there is the temptation to see how far you can toss a shovel full without moving..Push the Pile. Rather than trying to make your body awkwardly throw a scoop full of snow. Use some of your strongest muscles, your legs to push the snow close to the pile then once again lift with the legs.

Play It Cool

Shoveling is a high intensity activity because it gets your heart pumping and requires muscle strength. Remember to breathe, take breaks if you need to and cool down by walking around inside for a few minutes when you’re done.

Check Out What I’ve Got…

For those who like a challenge and something to brag about. You can try building a quinzhee! You can find the directions in Back Yard and Beyond. Enjoy the snow, it’s fun!

Kenji!