After shoveling snow for years at his company, B’s Auto Shop in Englewood, Patrick Burke has invented a snow shovel, the “Shove-It” that uses two wooden handles instead of one, allowing the person to stand upright and push the snow instead of the usual bending and lifting. Kathryn Scott Osler, The Denver Post
When snow, ice and frigid winds blast into town, watch out. If your body is not in condition, the common winter chore of snow shoveling can present the potential for spasms, strains, sprains and other health problems, warns the American Chiropractic Association (ACA).
Bending and twisting when tossing a shovel of heavy snow can aggravate lower back discs, according to ACA. In addition, the overall physical exertion required for snow shoveling, without proper conditioning, often results in painful injuries.
ACA advises you to be prepared and follow these tips for exercise of the snow shoveling variety: