One of the first things many of us think of when we hear the word winter is snow. While snow can be beautiful and calming to look at, there is also a darker side of that white stuff. This is mostly shown when we need to shovel it. Shoveling is, unfortunately, a necessary evil, however there are two sides to every story. Here are some of the good and bad things about this mandatory activity.
One of the main pros of shoveling is that it gets the snow out of certain areas. This means that your driveway, walkways, and stairs are now free of snow. This makes them much safer, especially if you couple shoveling with salting the area once the snow is gone. Making sure that the area is no longer slippery is something that is always appreciated by all who need to use it. This may be friends, family, and even post office workers.
Another good thing about shoveling is that it gets you exercise. The winter makes a lot of us less willing to go outside and work out, but shoveling means you need to work. You are walking around which helps work your leg muscles, you are likely bending over or crouching down so your core gets some work, and you are lifting heavy snow so your arms also get a workout. It is cold outside while you shovel, so there isn’t a concern about overheating either. While dehydration is a concern, it won’t occur as easily as it would if it were summer weather outside.
However, there are also bad sides to having to shovel. First and foremost is the danger. Shoveling can be painful if you are shoveling wrong. As I said, you’re lifting heavy snow and if you are doing it incorrectly, you could be putting a lot of stress onto your back. It also takes quite a bit of energy, so if you are older or have other medical conditions, you need to be careful with how much you do at a time.
If you want to be safer while shoveling, there are specially designed shovels that you can purchase. While a bit more expensive, they will help in regards to the pressure on your joints. No matter what kind of shovel you use, we suggest coming into DiBella Chiropractic to have your back adjusted after any type of heavy snow activity such as shoveling. Only once it is safe to drive, of course!
