Winter is an astonishing time of year when many of us anticipate to excellent snowfalls, outdoor activities or essentially sitting by a pleasant warm fireplace. With a couple straightforward tips, we can make them appreciate all that this winter season has to offer.

1. 2016
4. Use Your Legs… Not
Your Back
To avoid straining your low
back, make sure to lift with
your legs! Everybody has heard
this saying at some point but it
really does have some validity.
Lift from your knees. They are
meant to withstand these forc‐
es while your back is not, espe‐
cially when these lifts are done
in such a repetitive nature!
5. Take Frequent Breaks
The snow isn’t going anywhere!
Make sure to take frequent
breaks, sit down, take a drink
of water. This will help in your
recovery process once all the
snow is gone.
Snow Shoveling
HOLIDAY NEWSLETTER
Winter is an amazing time of year when many of us
look forward to beautiful snowfalls, outdoor activities
or simply sitting by a nice warm fireplace. However,
often this time of year is also accompanied by anxiety
because the moment there is a big snowfall, it is snow
shoveling season. Instead of happily enjoying this
amazing time of year, often we injure ourselves in the
process. With a couple simple tips, we can have you
enjoying all that this winter season has to offer.
1. Choose Proper Equipment
Make sure to choose a shovel which is a good height
and weight for you! Just because a larger shovel may
look like it’ll get the job done faster doesn’t mean that
it will do any favours to your body. To avoid muscle
strain and injury, try out a couple of ergonomic shovel
options and pick one which feels the most natural for
you!
Additionally, it is important to make sure that you are
wearing appropriate clothing. Keep warm to make sure
your muscles stay loose and wear comfortable, non‐
slip shoes to avoid falls!
2. Warm Up and Stretch
The next step after wearing warm clothing to stay
loose is to actually loosen your muscles. By performing
a few quick stretches first, you’ll be preparing your
body for the work ahead. Take a walk around the block
or the yard to warm up and get moving. A good warm
up will include a couple side bends while reaching
overhead, lifting your knee to your chest to open up
the low back as well as a few squats to prepare the
knees for bending and lifting. Remember to do each
exercise on both sides of the body!