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5 Snow Shoveling Safety Tips
If you happen to live in the northern states, come winter time you might be faced with several inches or feet of snow. Therefore, it is important that you take extra caution when clearing your property of snow and ice. These 5 snow shoveling safety tips are for those that have to shovel it from walkways, pathways, and driveways. Of course, those in ill health or older adults are more prone to experience breathlessness and/or chest pain after such a strenuous workout. Here are 5 snow shoveling safety tips that may help you to avoid a trip to the emergency room of your local hospital.
Safety Tips for Snow Shoveling
Do Some Muscle Warm Ups– Before heading outside to clear the snow and ice from your property, make sure that you do some muscle warm ups. Stretching and reaching your arms and legs, or even brisk running on the spot, will help your leg and arm muscles warm up. Then go outside and work on shoveling the snow. Once you come back indoors, stretch and reach for things very carefully because you do not want to cause any extra pressure on your muscles. A heating pad or filled hot water bottle may help soothe your muscles.
Dress for the Weather– Make sure to wear the proper winter attire before heading out to shovel the snow. Boots, a hat, gloves or mittens, and a warm winter coat will keep you warm and protect you from the elements. Dressing in layers provides additional warmth. Micro-fleece products are thin, yet warm. They also provide flexibility and ease of movement. Warming up your gloves and boots over a heating grate will help improve your comfort levels before you head out into that blistery weather.
Use the Right Equipment– Use the proper tools when snow shoveling. A shovel with an ergonomic handle is the best choice for ease of use. This type of snow shovel lessens the chance of you twisting the muscles in your back.
Lift with Caution– An important thing to remember is to lift with caution. Never overload the shovel. Only fill the shovel with an amount of snow that you feel comfortable to lift, without straining yourself.
Pause and Take a Break– Remember to pause and take a break. You are not running a race! If you start to feel winded, feel short of breath or have broken out into a sweat, stop and take a break, take deep breaths while you look across the street, at the front of your house, or your neighbors.
These 5 Snow Shoveling Safety Tips will help to stop you from overexerting yourself. No one needs to remove the snow so fast that they end up in the emergency room of their local hospital or even worse, have a heart attack. If you have a heart related disease or are prone to heart attacks, call a snow removal company to do the work, hire a student or someone in the neighborhood to do the job.
