 |
| Pace yourself, advises Phil Campagne, professor of kinesiology.聽(Nick Pearce Photo) |
With the amount of white stuff we鈥檝e got this winter, Nova Scotians are starting to think of ourselves as 鈥渟now shoveling experts.鈥澛� But are we really?
Statistics speak volumes about our relationship with our cold, yet oh-so-fluffy, friend. Each year, shoveling and snow-blower injuries result in more than 100,000 serious emergency room visits in North America. Clearly, we have some room for improvement.
According to Jill Robertson, a physiotherapist at Young Kempt Physiotherapy and a lecturer at Dal鈥檚 School of Physiotherapy, winter business is booming. 鈥淢any of our clients are here due to snow-shoveling related injuries. We usually see patients who have had a previous injury or strain which has been aggravated by snow shoveling.鈥�
Ms. Robertson鈥檚 advice to prevent injury is simple鈥攄on鈥檛 rush the job. 鈥淭ake your time and try to enjoy the activity, rather than trying to move as much snow as quickly as possible,鈥� she says. She even suggests adding some music to our snow shoveling routine.聽
The problem as Ms. Robertson sees it is that most people underestimate the energy being exerted and the impact that shoveling has on our bodies. 鈥淲e think of snow as light and fluffy.聽 But we forget to consider the weight of the shovel and the number of times that we repeat a particular rotating motion. It鈥檚 like lifting and throwing a five-to-10 pound bag of potatoes 100 times.鈥�
So, the bad news is that we may not the experts. The good news鈥攚e have access to some people who really know their way around a snow shovel. Phil Campagna, professor of kinesiology at Dalhousie, has some great advice.
According to Dr. Campagna, we should approach show shoveling like we approach exercise: warm up, use appropriate equipment, use proper techniques, wear appropriate clothing, and pace yourself. Here are his top five tips:
- Warm up for at least five minutes before starting to shovel. This could be as simple as walking around or doing some shoulder rolls and stretches. 鈥淲e warm up when we exercise and show shoveling is definitely exercise.鈥�
- Choosing the proper shovel is key. Many people use a larger shovel to move more snow quickly, but Dr. Campagna suggests using a smaller, lightweight shovel. He uses an 鈥淪鈥� shaped shovel that minimizes flexing of the spine.
- Focus on technique. Dr. Campagna stresses the importance of pushing, rather than lifting, the snow. But if you lift, do it properly: 鈥淏end your knees, step in the direction that you are shoveling, and don鈥檛 forget to breathe. You should never feel winded or short of breath. If you do, take a break.鈥�
- Wear layers of clothing and stay warm. 鈥淥ften, people wear the appropriate jacket, hats and mittens but don鈥檛 consider their footwear,鈥� he says. 鈥淭he proper footwear is extremely important since many injuries are caused by slips and falls.鈥�
- Pace yourself. Shoveling can cause a person鈥檚 heart rate to go up quickly so Dr. Campagna suggests working in short bursts and taking breaks as required. He also suggests shoveling while it鈥檚 snowing. 鈥淚 start shoveling in the middle of a storm when the snow is less dense and not packed down. People think I鈥檓 crazy but it breaks up the work.鈥�
So, now that you know the pitfalls, you should聽get the proper tools and聽be ready to tackle even the largest snow banks. Happy shoveling.聽