Backyard Basics: Snow Shoveling and Blowing
Be Heart Smart
- Avoid eating, smoking, or drinking caffeine prior to shoveling
Smart Tips
- Don’t move snow twice
- Remove snow in stages
- Maintain your snow – straighten front edge (hammer for metal, cut wit utility knife for plastic)
- Use silicon spray on your shovel
- Stretch before and after
- Stay hydrated
- Keep good mechanics
Shovels
- Wide/flat shovel to push snow (pushing is easier than lifting)
- Ergonomic shovel
- Plastic shovels are lighter
Lifting Snow
- Bandwidth knees and hips, keeping the back straight
- Hold the shovel close to your body
- Keep one hand close to the blade
- Do not twist upper body to move snow
- Walk to place where you are putting snow and avoid throwing when possible
- Do not lift large amounts of heavy snow at once
Snowblowing
- Do not move faster than set speed of blower
- Keep knees bent and back straight