As winter is fast approaching, the shovels are making their way out of the garages and into the snow. Most people simply dread the thought of shoveling a driveway or walkway, not to mention the back pain that comes with it. While we can’t teach you how to make shoveling fun, we can give you some important tips to fight off the back pain and avoid injury that comes with shoveling. The most common injury as a result of shoveling is lower back strain. This is when the muscle gets over-tensioned and tightens. If it over-tightens, it’s almost like a spasm and gets very painful. Another common back injury is a herniated disk, in which one of the soft disks between the vertebrae comes out of position and pushes on a nerve. If back pain radiates down your leg then that may mean you have ruptured or herniated a disk. There’s two things you need to do to dramatically reduce the chances of injuring yourself when shoveling snow. You need to know the proper techniques when shoveling and to strengthen the muscles that are used when shoveling.

The Proper Way to Shovel Use the right shovel:

Ergonomic shovels that have a curved shaft allow for better leverage and are easier on the body. Try to stick with a plastic shovel since they are typically lighter than metal ones.

Lift with your legs, not with your back:

Bend your knees and keep your back as straight as possible so that all the power comes from your leg muscles, and not your back. Never bend at the waist. Step in the direction that your throwing snow. This will help prevent the lower back from twisting and tweaking.

Maintain proper grip strength:

Don’t keep your hands too close together. Instead, place your hands further apart to improve the leverage. This will allow you to work more efficiently.

Pick up smaller loads of snow:

You are much more likely to injure yourself if you lift more snow. If you’re shoveling deep snow (a foot or more), take it easy and shovel two or three inches off at a time.

Push as much as possible:

Push the snow to the side instead of lifting the snow and throwing it off to your side.

Strengthen Those Shoveling Muscles

The legs, lower back and core are the three primary muscles involved when shoveling. Therefore, the squat, deadlift and weighted sit-up are three of the best exercises to strengthen those muscles. These exercises should always be incorporated in a daily routine and especially during the winter months. Try these exercises:

SQUAT: Stand up with feet shoulder-width apart and a barbell across your back (across your shoulders and traps holding with your arms) Toes should be pointed forward and outward a little bit. Stick your butt out a little and then drop it to the floor sitting backward until the top of your thighs (not the bottom) are parallel with the floor. Weight should be shifted onto your heels and never your toes. Head should remain to look forward, (not up and never down) and back should remain straight throughout the entire movement. Drive your feet through the ground and explode upward to return to the original position.

DEADLIFT:

Stand up to a barbell with feet shoulder-width apart. Grip the bar with both palms facing outward. While keeping your back straight and your butt down (in a squatting position) stand up with the weight by pulling the bar up your shins (keeping your arms extended throughout the whole movement). Lock out the deadlift by swaying your hips forward just a little once it reaches its highest point. To bring the weight down, lower your butt down first (do not bend over to drop it) until you bring the bar back to the floor.

WEIGHTED SIT-UP:

Sit down on a decline bench with legs in the given pads to prevent you from falling. Have a buddy hand you a weight (plate or dumbbell). Keep the dumbbell on your chest and in one smooth motion, sit yourself up by using your abs. Keep your head looking forward and don’t jerk to get yourself up. Come up to the top where the top is considered before your body is perpendicular to the floor (60 degrees or so) to keep maximum tension (don’t sit too far up). Squeeze your abs at the top. Slowly come back down but do not let your entire back hit the pad. Repeat the rep just before your upper back hits.