Easy Tips for Snow Shoveling

Snow shoveling is a huge task in the winter, and it can be an even bigger one for seniors. One can easily injure themselves if they aren’t careful. In this blog post, we will provide you with some easy tips to make snow shoveling easier on yourself. We hope that these tips will help you get through each snowstorm without too much stress.

Tips for Snow Shoveling

Warm-Up

You need to build up your muscles to make shovelling easier on them. You can warm up with some simple stretches such as arm circles and shoulder shrugs before you get started. You might even want to do a bit of light jogging before you get started.

Push rather than lifting

It is always easier to push snow than it is to lift it. Keep this in mind when shoveling, and you will find that your muscles don’t feel as sore afterward. In addition, try to push the snow onto a pile rather than lifting it up into a wheelbarrow or another container. This way, the weight of the snow is not on your arms for such an extended period of time.

Use a wide shovel

Using a wider scoop is going to make your life easier because it will give you more leverage and cut down on how heavy each load of snow is for you. A lot of people like using metal scoops as opposed to plastic ones, but this comes down to a matter of preference.

Do some scouting

Pre-scout your sidewalk and driveway after the snow stops falling to see if you have too much for yourself to handle by yourself, or just enough where it’s doable with some easy tips like these. If you feel that shoveling is simply too strenuous on your body, consider hiring someone else to do it.

Use an ergonomic shovel that fits your height.

This is important for less strain on your back and getting the job done faster.

Go slow and steady

When shoveling, it is essential to go at your own pace so that you don’t hurt yourself or overexert too much. It might feel like a good idea to work up a quick sweat and get all of the snow off as quickly as possible, but this will just lead to a lot of pain and discomfort later on.

Use a snow thrower

If you have the budget for it, then using a snow blower is going to make your life much easier because they are designed specifically for removing large amounts of snow from driveways and sidewalks in short periods of time. They also come with features such as rotating brushes to make removing ice from your driveway much easier.

Shovel periodically

Shoveling periodically throughout the storm will make it much easier on you. If the snow is coming down hard, then take breaks inside with your feet up and give yourself a chance to warm up again before getting back out there.

Use salt

Using rock salt or some other de-icer will make removing ice from sidewalks and driveways far more manageable for you, which makes shoveling much less stressful.

Be careful not to use too much salt, however, because this will negatively impact your grass and plants in the warmer months after a winter storm has passed.

At NorthRock Minerals, we produce some of the best rock salt and other de-icers on the market. Our products are trusted by thousands of individuals and businesses for reliability and effectiveness. Check out our product page for more information.