What is the best way to shovel snow? Can you give this man some tips?
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M$4 Answers
Address your task directly. Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart to maintain balance. Try to keep the shovel close to your body. Bend at the knees—not the waist or back. Tighten your stomach muscles as you lift the snow. Lift with your legs—not your back. Do not twist your body. Dump the snow in front of you. If you need to move the snow to the side, move your feet—do not twist!
According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, “If you must lift the snow, lift it properly. Squat with your legs apart, knees bent and back straight. Lift with your legs. Do not bend at the waist. Scoop small amounts of snow into the shovel and walk to where you want to dump it. Holding a shovelful of snow with your arms outstretched puts too much weight on your spine. Never remove deep snow all at once; do it piecemeal. Shovel and inch or two; then take another inch off. Rest and repeat if necessary.”
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M$
Switch sides - meaning, dump your snow first on the left and then on the right. This will help keep your arms going longer than they normally would. Physically turn and shovel in a different direction. Change from going downhill to going uphill. It'll all get shovelled eventually, but break up the monotony and keep your muscles fresh!
If the snow has melted and refrozen in places, use the tip of your shovel or a gardening hoe to break up the ice. (One year we had a few inches of ice hiding under all the snow on our driveway, it took a good couple of days to chip all of it off.)
Shovel what you need to shovel. Don't shovel every little bit if you only need a walkway. Shovel the side of the driveway that you use.
After you shovel, spread salt (or specially-made melting salts) over the area you just shovelled. More than likely, because the remaining snow is so thin, it will melt during the day and re-freeze again at night. Prevent this by making sure it stays melted with the salt, and the grains of the salt will also give you extra bit of tranction should it refreeze in some areas.
Keep your mind occupied if you start getting tired. I count in Chinese, or start to have a conversation in my head in Italian - that's how I keep myself focused, and it works well for me. Bring an iPod or MP3 player out with you. Take breaks, or take turns with someone else.
When you're done, look at your handiwork, appreciate the time that went into it, and run inside for some hot chocolate in front of the TV. (You might want to take a shower, too!)
Lived in Alaska and Colorado. Had to shovel many a driveway, unfortunately. ;)
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M$
2. Use an Ergonomic Show Shovel (see picture http://s.sears.com/is/image/Sears/005W051543110001 ).
3. Use a snowblower.
4. Hire out the snow removal and sit in your den with a coffee watching them do the work.
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M$
