shoveling snow

It's beautiful outside. The heaviest of the snow has passed through DC, schools are closed, traffic is light, and, no one has skidded off the road and into our front yard. All in all, life is good.

Pretty soon I'll have to go outside and begin the task of snow removal. But, before I do I wanted to share ways to safely shovel snow. If you haven't been active it can be dangerous to rush outside and and start to shovel. If you have a history of heart disease, hire someone to do the job for you, don't take risks. Dress warmly, hydrate, and move around before you head outside, you want your body to be warm and the joints lubricated.

In addition:

• if you can postpone shoveling until later in the day, your back will thank you. Early in the day there is increased fluid in the spine that makes the spine more resistive to bending.
  
• spraying a silicone lubricant on the blade of the shovel may prevent the snow from sticking to the blade and increasing weight on the shovel.
• PUSH the snow away from you, don't try to lift, twist and throw the snow over your shoulder.
• choose a small bladed plastic shovel. It will be lighter and the smaller blade limits the amount (weight) of snow you will be pushing.
• you already know to bend the knees and rotate around the hip to protect the back, but resting your arm on your knee also takes the load off the spine.
• if you begin to feel dizzy, lightheaded or nauseous, STOP IMMEDIATELY and get help.

Enjoy the beauty of the day!