Snow shoveling is a common way I see people get injured and need help to get better. There are a lot of tips that could be shown, but I feel it comes down to just a couple changes can make a big change. First is treating shoveling snow like a workout. Every time you lift or push a shovel full of snow, pretend like you are lifting a weight at the gym, rather than just pushing and throwing snow really lazy. Every push or lift could be considered one repetition. Along with that is how your back position is. If you have a rounded back and try and lift something it will put more strain on your back and more likely cause injury. Instead, hinge at the hips and try to move like you are doing something like a dead lift. The second big thing is fatigue. Usually the injuries come at the end of the driveway when you are saying to yourself “I’m almost done, I will just finish.” When you are tired, you start to lose good form and your muscles can’t protect your joints and ligaments as much and the potential for injury goes up. Again, if you were working out, after so many repetitions you would take a break before continuing on. Do the same thing with shoveling and sometimes that break may be go inside and come back again later depending on how much or how heavy the snow may be. If you prepare to shovel you can make more progress and be a little less of a pain in the back.
Come in for a movement screen today and see where you can modify movement and shovel all winter long.
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